Entertaining tales of Regency Romance from author Mary Kingsley--plus something extra for readers!

The Rake's Reward  by Mary Kingsley 

Even a rake can lose his heart…

Lady Cecily Randall was no green girl to be seduced by a handsome face. The eminently dutiful daughter of the Duke of Marlow, she’d been groomed to make a suitable match. So when the rather humorless Marquess of Edgewater proposed, she accepted. She tried not to think about love and happily-ever-after…and she certainly forced from her mind all thoughts of the handsome stranger she’d encountered on one of her forbidden solitary rides in the park. Alexander Darcy might be a viscount, but he was also a womanizing scoundrel…just the sort of man to upset the most practical of plans.

It wasn’t easy being a rake—late nights, ruinous gambling and carousing, demanding paramours. But Alexander Darcy had managed to endure. Of late, however, even those simple pleasures had begun to pall. It was far more intriguing to investigate a lady conspirator. The Home Office was convinced Lady Cecily Randall was not all she seemed, and investigating her would be the most pleasant assignment Alex ever had. For even if he believed the wide-eyed beauty was innocent, he might just have to seduce her to prove it.

Finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA award, Best Regency Romance

Finalist for Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Best Regency Romance and Regency Rake

“Mary Kingsley is sure to win a large following with this dandy blend of Regency romance and thrilling intrigue.” - Romantic Times, 4 1/2 stars

“Excellent reading for any Regency fan.” - Rendezvous

“The Rake’s Reward is full of bright twists and vivid details. The characters come alive through quick, expressive dialogue.” - Affaire de Coeur



Sabrina  by  Mary Kingsley

A DELICATE DILEMMA

All Sabrina wanted when she journeyed to Bainbridge Abbey was to find her long-lost family, not seek her share of their fortune. But His Grace Oliver Carrick, Fifth Duke of Bainbridge, was determined to think the worst of her... especially once the dowager duchess began insisting that Sabrina marry the handsome duke and force him to abandon his rakehell ways! Since Sabrina had already lost her heart to the dashing rogue, she'd gladly grant him her hand. But how could she wed her reluctant suitor without revealing the terrible truth about her past?

A TENDER TRAP

It was unthinkable! The chit had gulled his grandmother and conspired against him -- and now he was trapped in an engagement! She was a clever minx... and a beautiful one at that. Fine for the chase, but not for the ring. He'd play along for the nonce and do a little investigating on the side. She seemed too guileless, too innocent by far. Surely there was something in her mysterious background that would set him free! For wouldn't it be better to have her at his mercy -- and in his bed -- without the dashed inconvenience of the wedding noose?


 
The Reluctant Hero  by Mary Kingsley

HE CAME TO HER RESCUE...

Wounded in body and soul while serving his country in the Peninsula, all Charles Kirk now wants is peace. He hopes to settle back into civilian life by managing a property owned by his brother. But his plans hit a snag when, en route to the estate, he rescues a charming young woman being pursued by a less-than-enchanting pair of ruffians. His gentlemanly duty is to escort Lady Serena Fairchild safely home--yet he soon realizes that letting her go will be more difficult than he ever imagined...

...AND CAPTURED HER HEART

Serena has no idea that her abduction was part of a duplicitous plan concocted by a jilted suitor. As far as she's concerned, there's no such thing as a happy union--she'd sooner remain a spinster all her days! But her resolve to avoid engagement is sorely tested by her intrepid rescuer. The more time she spends with gentle, chivalrous Charles Kirk, the more she questions her own convictions about marriage...and love.  


 
A Gentleman's Desire   by  Mary Kingsley

Unfortunate Circumstances . . . 

The Earl of Chatleigh was not a man easily taken in by manipulative misses, but he'd certainly botched things this time! Yet how was he to know that the beautiful young doxy in his bed at the Hart and Hind was of the Quality? Though he suspected he'd just been the victim of a most ingenious bit of connubial chicanery, honor demanded that he wed the chit. Well, he'd give her his name, and that was all she'd receive from him. Except, perhaps, for a few lessons on the more pleasurable obligations of a dutiful wife!

Inescapable Conclusions . . . 

Miss Melissa Selby considered herself a resourceful girl, resourceful enough, at any rate, to escape her cruel stepfather and make her own way in the world. But she was not at all prepared to cope with the handsome lord who appeared in her bedchamber: So she screamed, as any Lady might, and brought witnesses as well as protectors. Not giving a fig for her reputation, she would have happily braved the scandal, but her would-be seducer would have none of that. Well, he'd soon regret the cavalier way he'd trapped her in marriage. She might be forced to live the rest of her days as the wife of an earl . . . but she'd spend her nights alone! 



A Maddening Minx  by  Mary Kingsley

A WOMAN OF MISCHIEF

Finding herself quite literally in Philip Thornton's arms after a curricle accident, Sarah was more than a little intrigued by her rescuer, especially by his mysterious eye patch. Fortunately, her injuries were minor, and her recovery in his lordship's home gave her plenty of time to satisfy her curiosity. There were delicious secrets aplenty hidden beneath his lordship's unapproachable exterior, and Sarah was determined to uncover every last one of them!

A MAN OF MYSTERY

Miss Chadwick was a most maddening female, reflected Philip Thornton, Marquess of Pembroke. While most ladies had the decency to avert their eyes from his eye patch, this outrageous young lady stared at it openly. Her beauty and boldness ere disconcerting enough to make him forget his bitterness over his scar and the tragedies in his past. And as he looked into her warm brown eyes and heard the laughter bubbling from her lips, Philip wondered if he was sorrier to have encountered such a bewitching minx, or that he hadn't done so long ago! 

Mary Kingsley



Mary Kingsley is the pen name of mystery author Mary Kruger. She is the author of 11 Regency romances, 4 Regency novellas, and 3 historical romances. Her novel "The Rake's Reward" was a finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA award. Her novella "The Runaway Duchess" won the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf award.

Mary Kruger

Mary Kruger is an avid knitter and the author of the Gilded Age mystery series and also other cozy mysteries. She lives in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

 
 

"LORDS AND LADIES SERIES"--CHARMING REGENCY ROMANCE FROM AUTHOR DONNA LEA SIMPSON

 

Lord St. Claire's Angel (Lords and Ladies, #1)  
by Donna Lea Simpson

Celestine Simons was past the age when a woman could hope to marry. Still, she counted herself blessed, for she held a good position as governess in the household of tine Marquess of Ladymead. But when the Marquess's brother, the handsome Lord Justin St. Claire, arrived for the Christmas season, Celestine's lonely heart caught fire. He was so sweet and understanding. Yet, a marriage proposal from a pleasure-seeking aristocrat had to be merely cruel joke, if not pity for a poor spinster...

Love was a game for the devil-may-care Lord Justin St. Claire -- until he met Miss Celestine Simons. Justin never thought he could be felled by cheerful good sense and intelligent conversation. He'd set out to give the plain, timid miss an innocent thrill under the kissing bough -- becoming smitten with the gray-eyed beauty was the least of his intentions. But the more he denied his aching heart, the more he yearned to make Celestine his.




Lady Delafont's Dilemma (Lords and Ladies, #2) 
by Donna Lea Simpson

HE WAS THE LOVE OF HER LIFE...

Lady Emily Delafont wanted to be alone. For five years, she lived a solitary life in Yorkshire, finding serenity and almost forgetting him. Baxter. The Marquess of Sedgely. Her husband. She knew that their marriage had been stormy, but she never expected Baxter to abandon her for his trip to the Continent. Now nothing would have prompted Lady Emily to have seen him again -- except a message that he was in danger.

...AND SHE OF HIS

Attacks upon his person by a secret enemy had put his life in danger, but it was meeting Lady Emily again that truly put Baxter in peril. She was still completely kissable! But in his mind, only one thing stands in the way of full reconciliation -- the dashing young Frenchman Bax believes to be his wife's lover. Pride will not let him claim his wife if she prefers another man -- yet passion will not let his soul rest until he has the only lady he has ever loved in his arms again....




Lady May's Folly (Lords and Ladies, #3)  
by Donna Lea Simpson

A COUNTRY AFFAIR

When Lady May van Hoffen sets out on a ride across her country estate, she anticipates nothing more than a sentimental visit to the Gothic folly where she played as a child. Yet while the sight of a wounded man within its stone walls is quite shocking, what is more amazing is the man's identity. For it is Etienne Delafont who lies bleeding in the cottage, the gallant Frenchman who helped May escape from a devious kidnapper--and the man both May and the ton have believed dead for months! With just one glance at the darkly handsome Etienne, May knows that her innocent tendre for him has survived, as well. Sheltering him may be a scandalous notion, but for once the risks don't signify. And for May, the chance of danger is far less frightening than the idea that her greatest folly may be losing her heart...




About Donna Lea Simpson 

When I was a kid, I thought you had to be someone extraordinary to become an author. I always loved to read and write, but was too unsure of myself to believe that I could ever become a published author. I've been fortunate enough in my life to have someone stand by me and repeatedly tell me I can do it. My advice to anyone who wants to write is, find someone who believes in you and cling to them! It's not an easy road, but it's worth it.

I read mysteries - Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, among other authors - and then discovered, quite by accident, Regency romances. I suppose it's no surprise that when I decided to try writing seriously, I wrote a Regency. 'Absentee Heart', my first attempt, was published by Rubenesque Romances in 1997.

My first *big* break was with Zebra Books, for their Regency line. 'Lord St. Claire's Angel', my first with Zebra, is still a favorite among many reviewers. I wrote over twenty Regency romance novels and anthology contributions for them, and adored every moment of it.

But I wanted more. I wanted to write longer and more in-depth stories. I wanted to explore a darker side to life, and go beyond the shores and time of Regency England. I love mystery, and feel that every good story is truly a mystery in a sense; even if there is no murder involved in a romance novel (though there actually *may be* in my newest books - wink wink!!) there is mystery in love.

How are the hero and heroine going to get together? Will they know immediately that they belong together, or will they have to suffer and find each other through turmoil? What will happen to keep them apart, and can they defeat every obstacle to come together finally?

I have been fortunate enough recently to move on to write paranormal (werewolf) historical romance for Berkley Books and am loving every second of it. Set in the Lower Saxony region of Germany in 1795, the 'Awaiting' books are a fabulous and thrilling departure for me. The spookiness of a Gothic castle in Germany, lies and deception, twisted family secrets and the dark world of weird occurrences makes for a rich and colorful tapestry when woven with human foibles and thrilling, erotic love and lust!

Romantic Times said about my first paranormal with Berkley, 'Awaiting the Moon', that: 'By mixing a classic Gothic with paranormal overtones Simpson has a winner. This impossible-to-put-down romance belongs alongside Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney and Daphne du Maurier. Here is a pure classic plot line with just the right touch of the ominous, the perfect amount of suspense and plenty of sexual tension to keep you reading late into the night and finish satiated.'

About the second they said: 'Simpson continues the Wolfram saga as a young woman becomes entwined in dark secrets while threads of werewolves myth, greed, passion, lies and deceptions swirl around pulling you into a tightly crafted paranormal romance with Gothic overtones. Victoria Holt would be proud.'

I was thrilled! What an honour to be compared to those writers. As I suppose you can tell, dear reader, I'm enjoying the ride so far... long may it last!

Donna Lea Simpson
http://www.donnaleasimpson.com

"REGENCY AUTHOR" Joanna Maitland--her love of grand romance, beautiful settings, and history adds wonderful details to her writing

Marrying the Major  by  Joanna Maitland

Surrounded by callous fortune hunters, beautiful Emma Fitzwilliam despaired of ever finding a man who truly loved her. Until she came face-to-face with the man who'd once been the object of her girlhood fantasies.

Returning from the Peninsular War, Major Hugo Stratton was nothing like the lighthearted young man Emma remembered.

Scarred and embittered, his reputation in tatters, Hugo believed he had nothing to offer her. But as she caught glimpses of the man she once knew and felt the heat of his desire, Emma knew otherwise. Though it wasn't until a desperate situation forced Hugo's hand in marriage that Emma got her chance to discover if that were true. But what would it take to bring back to life the man she'd never stopped loving?


 

Rake's Reward  by  Joanna Maitland

Desperate to support her widowed mother, Marina Beaumont had agreed to become a companion to a dowager countess and found herself in an impossible situation. She had never anticipated the position would force her to deal with Kit Stratton -- a renowned rake who would stop at nothing to get the revenge he sought...even if it cost Marina all that she held most dear.

For unable to restrain the dowager's gambling habit, Marina soon found herself paying the price for Kit's sweet revenge on the widow. And the only way this rake would agree to her request to forfeit the money he was owed was if Marina gave him the reward he most desired...

Joanna Maitland
 

 

Joanna Maitland is a Scot (with part Irish ancestry) though she and her husband now live in England, near the border with Wales. It's a magical area, overflowing with the kind of historical sites to tempt any author's storytelling tastebuds. To add to her nomadic history, Joanna spent her student years living in Scotland, France, Germany, and London, and she still enjoys travel to faraway places. For example, she travelled to St Petersburg, Vienna, and Venice, for her stories about a brotherhood of Wellington's spies (The Aikenhead Honours).

Learn more about Joanna and her books on her new website http://LibertaBooks.com/Joanna, where readers and authors share.

Joanna's books:  https://www.amazon.com/Joanna-Maitland/e/B001H6KX6C/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Joanna Maitland says:

"I am a Scot, born and raised in Glasgow, one of the friendliest places in the world. Unfortunately, there were not many career opportunities in Scotland at the time I left University, and so I migrated to London. Living in England didn't stop me from hankering after the glorious wildness of the Scottish mountains and lochs, but short visits were the best I could do.

I have always been a history fan, fascinated by the detail of how our ancestors lived. I try to imagine the effects of working by candlelight rather than electricity, and how they coped with all that coal and water carrying, all that horse dung in the smelly, unswept streets. I marvel at the idea of scythe men creating a bowling green lawn, or seamstresses hand-sewing every stitch of a spider gauze gown. And I shudder at the extravagances of the rich, who could gamble away tens of thousands of pounds at a sitting, while the working poor subsisted on only a few shillings a week.

Like most writers, I have always scribbled. At school, I concocted a handwritten magazine with tiny writing that hardly anyone could read. I wrote stories and poems for school magazines and competitions. As an exchange student in France, I wrote reams of letters filled with pretty wild imaginings and some bad poetry (in rather suspect French).

When we were living abroad, I started writing children's stories. My children liked them, of course, but the publishers didn't. Then one day, I found Mills & Boon historicals, and I was hooked. I used to write on the commuter train to London and back, for about two hours a day. It was very peaceful in those days; most commuters were hiding behind their newspapers, and mobile phones hadn't been invented. At one stage, I spent several journeys playing piquet against myself with a miniature pack of cards, in order to be sure that all the scores I was quoting in my story were possible. My fellow passengers looked curiously at me out of the corners of their eyes, but nobody ever broke the silence to ask what on earth I was doing. Just as well, probably. What could I have said?

It took me nearly nine years of rejections to get one of my manuscripts accepted. It was published in 2001, as A Penniless Prospect, and short-listed for the New Writer's Award of the Romantic Novelists' Association. I'm still writing Regencies, but I've been studying medieval history since I stopped working full-time, and I'm now planning stories set in that period, too.

When we moved away from London commuterland a few years ago, we did try to find a new home in Scotland, but it didn't work out. We settled near the Welsh border instead. It's an ideal location. The countryside is full of medieval history--ruined castles, Offa's Dyke, cathedrals and churches, black and white villages--and some of the scenery reminds me of Scotland.

I have now indulged my love of Scotland a little by writing a book set there — Bride of the Solway. When I was researching the story, I spent some time in the Border country, visiting the ruined castles and admiring the spectacular scenery. You can see pictures of some of the settings I used in the book here and read some of the romantic background. There are also tales about Gretna marriages and the perils of the Solway on my research snippets page. I found it all fascinating, and I plan to write more stories set in Scotland." 

"Winter Woman"--by Jenna Kernan--is a true romantic adventure story--at times rough, raw, and unflinchingly real, it is also refreshing and a renewal of why someone like me reads historical romance

Winter Woman  by Jenna Kernan  

Her prayer was simple: "Dear God, let me die!"

But Cordelia Channing—preacher's wife, preacher's widow—lived and was born anew as Winter Woman, a woman of power who'd survived the deadliest season in the mountains alone.

She knew she could never do it again. Though perhaps there was no need, for Providence had sent her Thomas Nash, an enigmatic Mountain Man who stirred the deep places of her questing soul.

Nash had come west to lose himself, to rail at the fates that seemed ready to destroy his life at every turn. But somehow those same fates now saw fit to put Delia in his care. And though he was fighting it at every turn, Delia was transforming his life in ways he'd thought forever lost.

MY REVIEW:  I was born and raised in the mountains of VA, where I still reside. I grew up in a western-loving household, and I call myself "a prairie woman at heart". While I love my Southern heritage, there is also a deep and abiding connection with the American Frontier and the American Old West. I feel as though I could set my birth date back 100 years and not lose my stride. Jenna Kernan's "Winter Woman" is an amazing woman, indeed! Cordelia Channing and her husband John set out to become missionaries in the West, but neither was prepared for the reality of frontier life. Cordelia is soon widowed and does something no one else has ever done: she survives the frozen hell of a Rocky Mountain winter on her own. When she is found by a group from the Flathead Indian tribe, they take her to mountain man Thomas Nash for assistance. Nash wants nothing to do with the woman, but he reluctantly agrees to care for her until Autumn, when he is done with his hunting and trapping. He will take her East to "The Rendezvous", where all the trappers meet to sell their wares, and she will have the best chance of finding a way back home. At first, Nash and Delia mix like oil and water, but soon find that they enjoy each other's company. Nash teaches Delia much about the ways of the woods, and she reminds him of things that he thought he had long ago forsaken. After the death of his wife several years before, Nash became a loner, hardening his heart and living the solitary life of a woodsman. Delia captures him with her beauty and spirit and her amazing strength and willingness to learn. There are great differences between them, including Delia's religious faith and Nash's loss of faith. Delia also has "survivor guilt" and feels as though her feelings for Nash are a betrayal of her late husband. They survive much, learning about themselves and each other along the way. Can they overcome their differences and somehow forge a new life that neither of them expected? "Winter Woman" is a true romantic adventure story. At times rough, raw, and unflinchingly real, it is also refreshing and a renewal of why someone like me reads historical romance.  


Jenna Kernan

 

Publishers Weekly bestselling author, Jenna Kernan, writes romantic suspense that RT BookClub called "Flat-out good." Winner of the Book Buyers' Best award and two-time RITA nominee, Jenna Kernan has published over thirty novels and offers readers a FREE NOVELLA when they join her VIP Readers group @ www.jennakernan.com

Her popular PROTECTOR series are available from Harlequin Intrigue. She also writes Western historical and paranormal romance. Jenna grew up in the Catskill Mountains of New York State and currently lives in Florida with her husband.

Follow Jenna @jennakernan, on https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJennaK... or join her newsletter at www.jennakernan.com 

'MARLENE'--by C.W. Gortner-A lush, dramatic biographical novel of one of the most glamorous and alluring legends of Hollywood’s golden age--Marlene Dietrich

Marlene  by C.W. Gortner

A lush, dramatic biographical novel of one of the most glamorous and alluring legends of Hollywood’s golden age, Marlene Dietrich—from the gender-bending cabarets of Weimar Berlin to the lush film studios of Hollywood, a sweeping story of passion, glamour, ambition, art, and war from the author of Mademoiselle Chanel.

Raised in genteel poverty after the First World War, Maria Magdalena Dietrich dreams of a life on the stage. When a budding career as a violinist is cut short, the willful teenager vows to become a singer, trading her family’s proper, middle-class society for the free-spirited, louche world of Weimar Berlin’s cabarets and drag balls. With her sultry beauty, smoky voice, seductive silk cocktail dresses, and androgynous tailored suits, Marlene performs to packed houses and becomes entangled in a series of stormy love affairs that push the boundaries of social convention.

For the beautiful, desirous Marlene, neither fame nor marriage and motherhood can cure her wanderlust. As Hitler and the Nazis rise to power, she sets sail for America. Rivaling the success of another European import, Greta Garbo, Marlene quickly becomes one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, starring with legends such as Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. Desperate for her return, Hitler tries to lure her with dazzling promises. Marlene instead chooses to become an American citizen, and after her new nation is forced into World War II, she tours with the USO, performing for thousands of Allied troops in Europe and Africa.

But one day she returns to Germany. Escorted by General George Patton himself, Marlene is heartbroken by the war’s devastation and the evil legacy of the Third Reich that has transformed her homeland and the family she loved.

An enthralling and insightful account of this extraordinary legend, Marlene reveals the inner life of a woman of grit, glamour, and ambition who defied convention, seduced the world, and forged her own path on her own terms.


C.W. Gortner

 

Bestselling author C.W. Gortner holds an MFA in Writing, with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies. Raised in Spain and half Spanish by birth, he currently lives in Northern California. His books have been translated in over 20 languages to date.

He welcomes readers and is always available for reader group chats. Please visit him at www.cwgortner.com for more information. 

Author TERESA MEDEIROS--fabulous, fantastical, magical romance--sure to stir your reader's imagination!

Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros

Gabriel Fairchild's valor during battle earns him the reputation of hero, but costs him both his sight and his hope for the future. Abandoned by the fiancée he adored, the man who once walked like a prince among London's elite secludes himself in his family's mansion, cursing his way through dark days and darker nights. 

Prim nurse Samantha Wickersham arrives at Fairchild Park to find her new charge behaving more like a beast than a man. Determined to do her duty, she engages the arrogant earl in a battle of both wit and wills. Although he claims she doesn't possess an ounce of womanly softness, she can feel his heart racing at her slightest touch. As Samantha begins to let the light back into Gabriel's life and his heart, they both discover that some secrets -- and some pleasures -- are best explored in the dark ...

After Midnight by Teresa Medeiros

"Our sister is marrying a vampire."

When the ever practical Caroline Cabot first hears those words from the lips of her fanciful youngest sister, she accuses Portia of having a wild imagination.

But when she discovers their sister Vivienne is actually being courted by Adrian Kane, the mysterious viscount rumored to be a vampire, she decides to accept his invitation to a midnight supper and do some sleuthing of her own. To both her delight and her dismay, she soon finds herself falling under Kane's bewitching spell.

After all, what's a proper young lady to do when her sister's suitor arouses more than just her suspicions?




The Vampire Who Loved Me by Teresa Medeiros

Julian Kane is back in town.

Once, as a girl of seventeen, beautiful, headstrong Portia Cabot saved the cursed life of the dashing vampire Julian Kane—who marked her forever, then left to go in search of his soul. He returns five years later to find the enchanting young girl he left behind grown into a bewitching woman with a woman's heart . . . and a woman's desires.

Portia quickly discovers that Julian's seductive and forbidden kiss can still make her crave the night . . . and his touch. But the Julian who has returned to London is not the vampire she remembers. His fruitless pursuit of his stolen mortality has reduced him to drunken debauchery. And a recent spate of murders makes Portia fear that the man she has always adored may truly be a monster.

Julian knows he must drive Portia away—but his passion and hunger for her grow more irresistible every time they touch. For years he has fought the temptation to embrace his dark gifts, never realizing that Portia's love may give him the most dangerous gift of all . . . a reason to live.

Charming the Prince  by Teresa Medeiros

He never lost a battle until he met the one woman who might succeed in...Charming the Prince.

Dear Reader,

My enemies know me as Lord Bannor the Bold, Pride of the English and Terror of the French. Never in my life have I backed down from any challenge or betrayed so much as a hint of fear—until the war ended and I found myself a reluctant papa to a dozen unruly children.

Realizing that I couldn't lop their little heads off or throw them in the dungeon, I sent my steward out to find them a mother and me a bride—an attractive, meek, maternal creature too plain to tempt me to get her with child. You can imagine my horror when he returned with Lady Willow of Bedlington, a spirited beauty who made me think of nothing else!

With her cloud of dark curls and the sparkle of passion in her eyes, Willow was everything I'd sworn to resist. I never dreamed she would join forces with those mischievous imps of mine to teach this cynical warrior just how sweet surrender can be.

Bannor the Bold,
Lord of Elsino

The Bride and the Beast  by Teresa Medeiros

Dear Reader,

I'd been prowling the crumbling ruins of Castle Weyrcraig for so long that I could no longer remember if I was man or beast. Then one stormy night the superstitious Highlanders of Ballybliss decided to leave a helpless virgin bound to a stake in the castle courtyard to satisfy my insatiable appetites.

My demands might strike terror in the hearts of men, but this bold beauty dared to defy me. After she informed me that she didn't believe in dragons, I had no choice but to make her my prisoner--or risk being exposed to those I had sought to deceive with my dangerous masquerade.

Soon I found myself stealing into the moonlit tower just to watch her sleep. Little does she know that beneath this beast's gruff exterior beats the passionate heart of a man. Gwendolyn Wilder may not believe in dragons, but I intend to use all my sensual wiles to teach her to believe in something even more magical--true love.

Eternally yours,

The Dragon of Weyrcraig

A Kiss to Remember  by Teresa Medeiros

AWAKENED BY A KISS

Laura Fairleigh needs a husband. If she is to keep a roof over her siblings' heads, the prim rector's daughter must wed by her twenty-first birthday. When she finds a mysterious stranger with the face of an angel and the body of Adonis unconscious in the forest and with no memory of his name or his past, she decides to claim him for her own. Little does she know that her fallen angel is really the devil in disguise.

Sterling Harlow, the notorious rakehell known as the "Devil of Devonbrooke," awakens to the enchanting kiss of a lovely young woman who informs him he is her long-lost betrothed. With her sun-kissed cheeks and smattering of freckles, she looks every inch the innocent, but her curves possess a woman's allure. When she assures him he is the perfect gentleman, he wonders if he's lost his wits as well as his memory. He would have sworn he was not a man to be satisfied with mere kisses--especially from lips as sweet and luscious as Laura's.As he attempts to uncover the truth before their wedding night, A Kiss To Remember ignites a passion neither of them will ever be able to forget....

One Night Of Scandal  by Teresa Medeiros

Proper decorum has never come easily to Carlotta Anne Fairleigh --- not even tonight, when the lovely, impetuous miss is finally making her debut. As she waits to make her entrance, she can't help wondering about the darkened house next door, the supposedly abandoned home of Hayden St. Clair, the man society has dubbed the "Murderous Marquess." Certainly one small peek through his window before the festivities would be harmless ...

And, naturally, this latest "adventure" ends in disaster, thoroughly compromising the budding debutante's reputation and leaving her suddenly, unthinkably ... betrothed! Soon she's en route to the wilds of Cornwall in the company of the handsome, mysterious marquess whose name the ton whisper with fear and loathing.

Yet there is something thrilling --- and surprisingly tender --- about her dark, unreachable groom, and the desire in his eyes is undeniable. But before Lottie will surrender to the yearnings in her heart, she must unlock the secrets of Hayden's past, no matter how scandalous --- or perilous --- they may be.


Teresa Medeiros



New York Times bestseller Teresa Medeiros wrote her first novel at the age of twenty-one and has since gone on to win the hearts of both readers and critics. All of her books have been national bestsellers, featured on the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She currently has over 10 million books in print.

She is a seven-time Rita finalist, two-time PRISM winner, and two-time recipient of the Waldenbooks Award for bestselling fiction.

GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART was released in January 2011 and her latest historical THE PLEASURE OF YOUR KISS is coming from Pocket Books in December 2011. Teresa lives in Kentucky with her husband and her cats, Buffy the Mouse Slayer and Willow Tum-Tum.

http://www.teresamedeiros.com 

" Move Heaven and Earth"--by Christina Dodd--a touching love story between a man and woman both scarred by the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars and the Battle of Waterloo

Move Heaven and Earth  by  Christina Dodd

Miss Sylvan Miles dreaded the moment she'd see Lord Rand Malkin again. Once a dashing rogue, he'd returned from a battle a changed man. Sylvan, too, has suffered. Sharpened by scandal and tragedy, she vows to heal Rand's body and spirit.

But when Sylvan arrives at Clairmont Court, the man she encounters is far from the shattered ex-soldier she expects. Rand takes great pleasure in taunting her with stolen kisses and the legend of his ancestor's ghost. But Sylvan isn't fooled by his bravado and sets out to break down his defenses ... while she fortifies her own against temptation ...


MY REVIEW:   MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH is a touching love story between a man and woman both scarred by the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars and the Battle of Waterloo. Sylvan Miles was revered by the injured men she tended. However, society looked upon nursing as not suitable for a lady, and Sylvan was a victim of malicious gossip. Rand Malkin was a veteran who came home confined to a wheelchair. His brother Garth recoginzed that Sylvan could help Rand overcome his physical injuries and regain his peace of mind. In return, Garth and his family would provide a safe haven for Sylvan. As time passes, family secrets are revealed, and a restless spirit haunts the ancestral home. Danger lurks in the form of an unknown enemy bent on destroying the Malkin empire. Sylvan and Rand are drawn together not only by love and desire, but also by the bond they share as survivors.


Christina Dodd 


 


New York Times bestseller Christina Dodd writes "Edge-of-the-seat suspense." --(Iris Johansen) with "brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd." (ALA Booklist) Follow Christina on Amazon to receive notices about her upcoming and new releases, and join her mailing list at christinadodd.com for a barrage of bad jokes, treehouse updates, dog photos & book sales.

Christina's 57+ novels have been translated into more than twenty-five languages, won the prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards, and been called the year's best by Library Journal and Booklist. Much to her mother's delight, Dodd has been a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. And let us not forget the infamous three armed cover... You can find more information on her website, ChristinaDodd.com

" The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After"--As a young mother facing a terminal diagnosis, Julie Yip-Williams began to write her story, a story like no other

The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After

by  Julie Yip-Williams

 
As a young mother facing a terminal diagnosis, Julie Yip-Williams began to write her story, a story like no other. What began as the chronicle of an imminent and early death became something much more--a powerful exhortation to the living.

That Julie Yip-Williams survived infancy was a miracle. Born blind in Vietnam, she narrowly escaped euthanasia at the hands of her grandmother, only to flee with her family the political upheaval of her country in the late 1970s. Loaded into a rickety boat with three hundred other refugees, Julie made it to Hong Kong and, ultimately, America, where a surgeon at UCLA gave her partial sight. She would go on to become a Harvard-educated lawyer, with a husband, a family, and a life she had once assumed would be impossible. Then, at age thirty-seven, with two little girls at home, Julie was diagnosed with terminal metastatic colon cancer, and a different journey began.

The Unwinding of the Miracle is the story of a vigorous life refracted through the prism of imminent death. When she was first diagnosed, Julie Yip-Williams sought clarity and guidance through the experience and, finding none, began to write her way through it--a chronicle that grew beyond her imagining. Motherhood, marriage, the immigrant experience, ambition, love, wanderlust, tennis, fortune-tellers, grief, reincarnation, jealousy, comfort, pain, the marvel of the body in full rebellion--this book is as sprawling and majestic as the life it records. It is inspiring and instructive, delightful and shattering. It is a book of indelible moments, seared deep--an incomparable guide to living vividly by facing hard truths consciously.

With humor, bracing honesty, and the cleansing power of well-deployed anger, Julie Yip-Williams set the stage for her lasting legacy and one final miracle: the story of her life.


Julie Yip-Williams


 

Julie Yip-Williams died in March 2018 of colon cancer. She was born in Tam-Ky, Vietnam, just as the war was ending, grew up in Monterey Park, California, and graduated from Williams College and Harvard Law School. At her death she was forty-two, and lived in Brooklyn with her husband, Josh, and their daughters, Mia and Isabelle.

https://julieyipwilliams.wordpress.com/

"BURNING BRIDGES"---by Anne Krist--Sara Richards' world is rocked when three love letters from 1970 are delivered decades late. Picking her way through the minefields of distrust and betrayal, Sara finds that putting her life together without burning any bridges will be the hardest thing she's ever done.

Burning Bridges by Anne Krist


Love letters delivered decades late send shock waves through Sara Richards' world. Nothing is the same, especially Sara's memories of Paul, a man to whom she'd given her heart years before.

Sara Richards' world is rocked when three love letters from 1970 are delivered decades late. The letters were written by Paul Steinert, a young sailor who took her innocence with whispered words of love and promises of forever before leaving for Vietnam. Sara is left behind, broken-hearted and pregnant, yearning for letters she never received. Now, years later, she discovers the betrayal wasn't Paul's when her mother confesses to a sin that changed their lives forever.

How can Sara reveal to Paul's parents they have a granddaughter they've missed the chance to know? Even worse, how will she find the words to tell her daughter that she's lived her life in the shadow of a lie?

Picking her way through the minefields of distrust and betrayal, Sara finds that putting her life together without burning any bridges will be the hardest thing she's ever done.   


MY REVIEW:   BURNING BRIDGES by Anne Krist is a powerful love story which reminds us that real love is imperfect and complex, but well worth having. Sara and Paul were young lovers kept apart by manipulation and self-doubt. Sara believes Paul was killed in Vietnam, and he never knew that she bore his child. Decades later, Sara receives recently discovered letters written by Paul from Vietnam. Her mother had blocked most of the letters they had written to each other. Her father had told her that Paul had been killed in the line of duty. Sara decides to visit Paul's parents to tell them that they have a grown daughter. When she reaches his family's farm, she finds Paul himself! Many deep emotional issues are faced before the love which Paul and Sara have always felt for each other burns old bridges and builds new ones into the future. 


Anne Krist

"Consider the role strangers play in your life. An unknown postman, for instance, who hides a bag of mail for decades. When I heard about this real-life event, I wondered how lives might change when those letters were delivered. Specifically, how they might affect two lovers. Add a war, a child, and a parent’s betrayal. I give you Burning Bridges." ~ Anne ~ 

"PRICELESS MEMORIES"--Television icon Bob Barker, beloved by millions for his charisma and charm, shares his life - both in front of the camera and behind the scenes

Priceless Memories by Bob Barker and Digby Diehl

Television icon Bob Barker, beloved by millions for his charisma and charm, shares his life - both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

In front of the camera, he has been invited into the homes of millions of Americans as host of The Price Is Right, Truth or Consequences, Miss USA, Miss Universe, The Rose Parade, and many other programs and specials. Now Bob Barker shares stories of favorite contestants, episodes, celebrity encounters, and behind-the-scenes happenings.

Beyond his public persona, he will open up about his personal life. From being raised on a Native American reservation by a single mother through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, to training as a pilot in the Navy during World War II, through his romance with the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Dorothy Jo, and his success at retirement.

His support of animal rights has always been a central part of his life. Bob delves into stories of how he has taken on Hollywood and the government in his crusade, including his anti-fur stand-off with beauty pageants, his involvement in uncovering animal abuse in movies and television, and the legislation he helped to pass. He also shares personal stories of rescuing animals, from dogs to elephants.

For the innumerable fans who have welcomed Bob into their homes over the last fifty years, this book will be like catching up with a dear and familiar friend who continues to lead a full and endlessly interesting life.

"Bob's writing is just like his hosting--smooth and professional. I'm sure his many fans will be thoroughly entertained and delighted by these recollections of his life and his long and very successful career. I can only imagine what more he might have accomplished if only he could sing." (Alex Trebek, host, 'Jeopardy!')

"The readers of this book will be happy to find, as I was, that Bob Barker did more than host The Price Is Right for thirty-five years. A lot more, as it turns out. What a career! God bless you, Bob Barker. And I'll try not to wreck the car." (Drew Carey, host of 'The Price Is Right')

"From hanging pianos to flying elephants, Bob Barker's love of people and animals and his remarkable ability to play the game furnishes a book full of prizes for the reader. Priceless Memories provides a fascinating insight into his career during the heydey of television and his tenacious determination to alleviate the suffering of animals. The book is a conversation with Bob Barker, full of humorous anecdotes about himself and the millions of contestants, friends, fans, family, celebrities and animals who have made his life a compelling story." (Pat Derby, founder of the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)) 



Bob Barker is best known as the epitome of game show hosts, having recently retired after 50 years on television, and 35 years of hosting The Price Is Right--the longest running game show in TV history. Born in Darrington, WA on December 12, 1923, he currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

 “Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.”

"Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast"--From Newbery Medal–winning author Robin McKinley, this beloved story illuminates an unlikely love story—Beauty and the Beast

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

by Robin McKinley

From Newbery Medal–winning author Robin McKinley, this beloved story illuminates an unlikely love story—Beauty and the Beast.

Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in appearance, she can perhaps make up for in courage.

When her father comes home with a tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must travel to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father insists that he will not let her go, but she responds, “Cannot a Beast be tamed?”

Newbery Medalist Robin McKinley’s beloved and acclaimed novel has been delighting readers for more than forty years. ALA Booklist called Beauty “A captivating novel.”

“A reader feels as though it’s all unfolding for the very first time.”—The Guardian

An ALA Notable Book for Children

A Best Book for Young Adults

  
Robin McKinley


 

Born in her mother's hometown of Warren, Ohio, Robin McKinley grew up an only child with a father in the United States Navy. She moved around frequently as a child and read copiously; she credits this background with the inspiration for her stories.

Her passion for reading was one of the most constant things in her childhood, so she began to remember events, places, and time periods by what books she read where. For example, she read Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy Book for the first time in California; The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time in New York; The Lord of the Rings for the first time in Japan; The Once and Future King for the first time in Maine. She still uses books to keep track of her life.

McKinley attended Gould Academy, a preparatory school in Bethel, Maine, and Dickinson College in 1970-1972. In 1975, she was graduated summa cum laude from Bowdoin College. In 1978, her first novel, Beauty, was accepted by the first publisher she sent it to, and she began her writing career, at age 26. At the time she was living in Brunswick, Maine. Since then she has lived in Boston, on a horse farm in Eastern Massachusetts, in New York City, in Blue Hill, Maine, and now in Hampshire, England, with her husband Peter Dickinson (also a writer, and with whom she co-wrote Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits in 2001) and two lurchers (crossbred sighthounds).

Over the years she has worked as an editor and transcriber (1972-73), research assistant (1976-77), bookstore clerk (1978), teacher and counselor (1978-79), editorial assistant (1979-81), barn manager (1981-82), free-lance editor (1982-85), and full-time writer. Other than writing and reading books, she divides her time mainly between walking her "hellhounds," gardening, cooking, playing the piano, homeopathy, change ringing, and keeping her blog. 
  

http://www.robinmckinley.com/

"THE STERLING TRILOGY"--The incomparable USA Today bestseller Samantha James cordially invites you to Regency England for a Sterling affair!

 

A Perfect Bride (Sterling Trilogy, #1)  by Samantha James

Perfectly marvelous...
 
Devon St. James must surely be dreaming! She closes her eyes in London’s poorest slum, and awakens wrapped in fine linens…staring into the eyes of the most gorgeous man she has ever seen! Sebastian Sterling, Marquess of Thurston, is clearly shocked to have a girl from the streets in his bed, though the heat of the desire burning in his gaze is unmistakable. But if he believes Devon will easily submit, he is quite mistaken!

What the devil has he done?
 
It’s bad enough their family is already mired in scandal, now Sebastian has to deal with the exquisite young beauty in rags he had impetuously carried into his home! Worse still, the lady is driving the serious, responsible marquess to distraction with her fiery spirit and breathtaking sensuality. But perhaps, just perhaps, with some of Sebastian’s private schooling, this low-born enchantress can learn refinement and manners – and be miraculously transformed from merely his passionate obsession into… A Perfect Bride



 
 
A Perfect Groom (Sterling trilogy, #2)  by  Samantha James 

Perfection is in the eye of the beholder…

Proud of his reputation as a rogue, Justin Sterling intends to be the first to bed “the Unattainable”--the Season’s most luscious debutante--and win the wager that’s the talk of the ton. However, he never expected the enchantress in question to be Arabella Templeton, who once stole his heart and owns it still. Now the notorious scoundrel will have to prove to her that his intentions are honorable…while protecting her virtue from every other rascal in London.

Arabella will marry only for love--and she does not need her childhood nemesis to act as her self-appointed guardian! Though the arrogant cad seems sincere, she is well aware of his rakehell history and won’t be swayed by his considerable charm and disarming good looks. For it would be pure madness for Arabella to ignore the voice of reason that whispers “beware!” and heed instead a traitorous heart that insists Justin Sterling would make…



 


A Perfect Hero (Sterling trilogy, #3)  by Samantha James

Can a perfect scoundrel be the perfect hero?

Since she was cruelly left at the altar at the age of twenty-two, Lady Julianna Sterling has resolved to have nothing to do with men. So she is shocked to discover she has unwelcome feelings for the very worst of the breed - a dangerous, unbearably handsome highwayman who has set upon her coach in the countryside and taken her captive. Worse still, her righteous ire turns quickly to disappointment when the irresistible outlaw sets her free.

Viscount Dane Graville knows he should not have revealed his face to the enchanting Lady Julianna - for he has compromised the secret mission he has undertaken for the Crown in the guise of the notorious Magpie. Now their paths are crossing once more, and Dane aches to taste again the sweetness of her kiss. But he must resist what his heart demands, for their passion can only lead to perils beyond imagining. 

   
Samantha James

 

Growing up in Joliet, Illinois, Samantha James had many childhood aspirations--being a writer was never one of them. When she was ten, she was certain she was destined to be an astronomer. That soon changed (happened a lot during those pre-teen years!) when she decided archaeology was in her future. Detective work was her next goal, thanks to the Trixie Belden mysteries she was reading, and before long, nursing beckoned (courtesy of the Cherry Ames series). In college, she set her sights on teaching history, then briefly entertained the notion of becoming a flight attendant, only to discover she did not like to fly.

Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.

In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!

Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."

The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."

That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.

Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...

To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.

Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...

http://www.samanthajames.com/index.php