Spotlight: Wendy Knight

Astraea Press is celebrating their first cover reveal; Wendy Knight's Fate on Fire novella, Feudlings in Sight! Available Thursday on Astraea Press, Amazon, and all other major ebook retailers!

Blurb:
Boys of war suck at romance.

Charity Delyle has lived in the shadow of her Prodigy cousin and his powerful Guard since the day she was born. And she doesn’t mind—really. Except that being in Hunter’s shadow means that he can’t see her. And she’d like that to change.

Hunter has one purpose in life: Protect the Prodigy, or die trying. That means a social life, school, and even Charity come last until the war is over. For the most part, he’s okay with that—he can lose everything if he has to…except his seer.

Starting at a new school should be much safer than living in a war-ravaged Carules headquarters. But this new school is different than the others. Friendships are forged and destinies are questioned, and Hunter’s decision could cost them all everything they’ve been hoping for.


Excerpt:
“Okay, do you want to practice the ones we learned last week or just start new ones?” She had carefully color-coded the spell book with sticky tabs — spells they had mastered, spells they had practiced, spells that would come in handy one day — she was very organized. And if the Council ever found out she put sticky tabs in a book that was over three hundred years old, they would kill her completely dead.

“Learn as much as you can, Shane. Gonna be hard to find a place to practice in the mountains of Utah, surrounded by Normals.” Hunter idly traced spells in the air, letting them fizzle and die without igniting them.

“Well, alright.” Charity flipped to the red section — spells that would come in handy one day. She started at the top. “This one is called an Al-able.” The odd word rolled awkwardly off her tongue. “It’s like… it looks like it’s sort of a flat triangle of flames.”

Release Day: Taming Wilde!

Being level-headed and even-keeled is a thing of the past. Sir Colin Wilde’s broken heart has sent him over the edge. And he is convinced the only way to get over the loss of Lady Gemma is to lose himself in debauchery.

Taking his cue from the private bachelor journal of Viscount Maddox, he presses forward in his quest to become the most notorious rake the ton has ever seen.

Prim and proper Lady Gemma isn't about to let him soil his reputation, especially over a misunderstanding. In spite of the propriety ingrained in her since birth, she throws convention to the wind and sets about to do the impossible... seduce a rake and tame Wilde.

AVAILABLE TODAY from these sellers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Astraea Press

Also available, the first two books in the trilogy:

     

Leave a comment below to be entered into the drawing for 1 of 3 Wallflower swag packs!

(Be sure to leave contact information.)

Thanks for stopping by to help us celebrate our newest release!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...

FROM THE COVER: 

Gryff’s orders lay unopened on the table.

The silent tension caused Gem to bite her lip. She tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear and shifted uneasily in the chair. Wide-eyed, Gryff sat stiffly beside her, regarding the envelope. He was like a statue—hands on his knees—staring interminably at the table.

Finally, Gem cleared her throat. Gryff jolted as if in a daze and turned to look at her. A look of uncertainty hung in his eyes. She swallowed the dry, sticky taste in her mouth and reached for his hand. It felt cold…clammy. Gem could feel the faint tremor of his fear radiating through his fingers. She took Gryff's hand between her own and squeezed, trying to infuse heat and reassurance at the same time.

"Sometimes they come back," Gem's voice was barely a whisper. It was a feeble attempt, but she was grasping at straws here.

Everyone knows.

They don't come back. Never whole, anyway.

Merry Christmas to Tracy H., the recipient of the Fifth Day of Christmas giveaway!

****

Interested in this giveaway? Leave me a comment below, and I will draw the winner at midnight. I'll post the winner's name with tomorrow's giveaway. Be sure to come back for more chances to win during the 12 days of Christmas!

The Unexpected Choice

Stacey Ingram is the girl next door. She keeps her business to herself and despises pity. Forced to drop out of school in order to take care of her ailing grandfather, her self-confidence is shot, yet she is still too proud to ask for help.

Her grandfather’s care zaps their savings, and the bills are piling up, but she would still rather go through bankruptcy than accept a handout.

Especially from the guy across the street, whom she has been in love with since childhood. And she’s far too busy caring for others to envision any happiness for herself. Besides, she knows what real love is, and it isn’t the feeling she gets whenever Joey McCrary comes around.

Joey McCrary is every girl’s dream, and he lives like he knows it. All through high school and college he had girls hanging on his arm, and he was none too careful whom he chose to spend his time with. Now that he’s faced with an unexpected responsibility, he has to change his ways fast.

The only person he trusts to help him is the girl next door, Stacey Ingram. Ever since he’s known her, she’s been a pillar of stability. No matter what life threw at her, she could handle it with quiet grace. That’s why he is certain, the curve he’s going to throw her will be met with equal effort.

The way he sees it, she needs him as much as he needs her. It’s a win-win. Not to mention the fact that she's more woman than he can handle. Now he’s wondering why he never noticed her before.

FROM THE COVER:

Joey McCrary needs a wife and someone to help him raise his daughter after he made some poor choices in college.  Stacey has always been his friend, and even though she’s a sweet girl, nothing can compare to the feelings he has for his ex.

Joey realizes that he and Stacey can benefit one another.  Joey can provide Stacey with all she’s ever wanted: a family.  But can Stacey teach him a few things along the way, too?

Available now at: AMAZON      BARNES & NOBLE      ASTRAEA PRESS

A Regency Christmas

Thanks for stopping by this leg of the Regency Christmas blog hop presented by Astraea Press! For my part, I'd like to introduce you to my Christmas Regency Two Turtledoves, the story of Baldwyn Sinclair and Anastasia Trent.

Baldwyn Sinclair, the Duke of Paisley, returns to London in the dead of winter at the request of his overbearing grandmother to find she has made a betrothal contract on his behalf... without his knowledge. Now he is to be married to none other than the girl who used to throw mud at him in order to gain his attention.

He is not happy about the prospect, but he is nothing if not devoted to duty.

Anastasia Trent has been in love with the Duke of Paisley since she was seven years old and has spent her life pining for him, fantasizing about the moment they would see each other again. But when he makes it clear that her imaginings are in vain, her disappointment drives her into the arms of a dangerous man.

It is up to Baldwyn to rescue her once again, to save her from herself, and to find perhaps, along the way, exactly what his own heart was looking for.

Now for the giveaway! In order to qualify for an entry, leave me a comment about your favorite Christmas tradition. On December 10th, I'll choose three winners at random to give a free ecopy of Two Turtledoves. Already read it? Never fear! I'll let you pick any of my other titles as an alternate. Thanks again for stopping by!

Say hi to Astraea Press's New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken for me! She's next on the blog hop!

Sweet Saturday: Shipwreck

Elias lay in his bunk, crammed between two other prisoners. The rhythmic sway of the ship and the foul stench of the hold had long since lost their sickening effect. They had been at sea for two weeks. The sea sickness had passed after only a few days. Now the soft pitch of the ship was a comforting constant — something to depend on even when the rest of his life was spiraling desperately out of his control. Uncertainty was the only thing left to nauseate him.

It was adequate to the task.

His trial had been a miscarriage of justice. But what did the French know of justice? They could hardly keep their own people fed and content. Their monarchs and nobility with their gluttony and excesses balked in the face of the poor and starving of France. Revolution was inevitable.

But what did that matter to Elias? He was bound for the French-held islands of the Caribbean to be sold into slavery and worked to death in the sugar cane fields. And he would never see his beloved Jaime again.

He allowed his eyes to close in a fitful sleep. Dreams of his new wife calling his name, begging him to return to her, besieged his mind. But iron bonds tightened around his wrists, and he couldn’t reach her.

Elias awoke to the rocking of the ship seeming to move with a wider pitch, though it was difficult to tell from his place in the hold with the other prisoners. When the sea water began spilling in torrents down through the hatch and filling the prisoner’s quarters, Elias grew concerned.

Movement on the bunk below him accompanied by frightened murmuring, brought him to the edge of the berth. Other prisoners were leaving their places on the wooden planks and dropping the short distance to the floor. He was forced to follow those next to him, since they were chained together. In a short time he was ankle deep in the cold salty brine.

Panicked shouts from the crew reached his ears. But he could only understand a word here and there. The roar of the sea outside seemed to drown out all other noises, except the wind as it screamed through the cracks of the deck above them.

Fear seemed to leap like wildfire from face to face in the hold, spreading from one trembling prisoner to the next. If the ship went down, they would all die down there, bound together and shackled to the hull. The walls of the ship creaked and shook as it rolled from side to side, moaning out the funeral dirge that sang of Elias’s death. His chest constricted and he closed his eyes, conjuring the image of his beloved Jaime one last time. If he was going to die, he wanted to do so thinking of her.

Somehow she would know he had loved her with his last breath.

One Year Already?

Last year on Black Friday I made my author debut with a co-authored Christmas novella entitled The Parting Gift. Since then I have released five other books -- two other cooperative efforts with Rachel Van Dyken and three solo works. It has been a busy year to say the least.

On this anniversary of my debut book and the blogaversary of inklings I'd like to celebrate the occasion with a giveaway of the book that started it all.

Interested? Leave me a comment below and I'll enter you for a chance to snag an ecopy of The Parting Gift. I have three of them up for grabs! I'll do a random drawing for three winners on December 1st.

Thanks for making my first year so amazing!

FROM THE COVER:

Blaine Graham lost his mother when he was the tender age of eleven. Grief over the loss drove a wedge between him and his father, and soon proved too difficult for him to deal with. At the age of sixteen, he falsified his papers and made the trip across the border into Canada with his best friend to join the Royal Canadian Air Force and enter the war in Europe as a pilot. Ten years later Captain Graham finds himself flying commercial jets in Boston – his estranged father and his past life all but forgotten, until the day he receives a telegram from his dying father asking him to come home.

The persistent Mara Crawford, a live-in nurse, has experienced her fair share of loss as well. Her attachment to Blaine’s father drives her desire to bring reconciliation between the two men before time runs out for her patient. But her best laid plans didn’t include falling in love again.

Time for Christmas Stories!

It is that time of year again! Get into the Christmas spirit with some good reading. Astraea Press has eleven Christmas regencies releasing this month (including Two Turtledoves and The Devil Duke Takes a Bride). Check out these titles on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Meet & Greet: Teo

Teo

Stem 7217A

Teo spends a lot of time with Aria, the EROMI plant assigned to his social group. When Aria leaves to fulfill Dr. Admatha's mission, Teo has a difficult time understanding the difference between her mission and the orders stems usually receive, which mean they won't be coming back.

He doesn't have long to fret over her absence though. When his human counterpart is convicted of a capital crime, Teo's purpose is questioned by EROMI's powers that be. Who will Aria find in Teo's place when she returns to Endfield?

Meet & Greet: Aria

Aria Markus

#8936

Aria has lived and worked at the Endfield compound for the past several years. She lives among the stems and interacts with them on a daily basis. As far as they are concerned, she is one of them. She's been there long enough, she is starting to think she is too.

The powers that be never let her forget who she really is -- what her role at Endfield is.

But no one knows the real reason Aria came to Endfield in the first place. The one memory that haunts her and makes it impossible to trust another human being.

~ All We See or Seem (available now) and One Lonely Rose (work in progress)~

Sweet Saturday: Unwanted Attention

Senor Tenorio

Lord Marks made lively conversation during the short trip to Holly Hall. No doubt an effort to bolster Anastasia’s spirits. She tried to humor him, to laugh along with his jests, but inside she was in turmoil.

She would know her fate in a matter of minutes, but in the mean time there was nothing she could do but hope.

As the footman announced them, Anastasia scrutinized every face in the ballroom one by one.

Her heart sank when her search returned empty.

Her father offered his arm, whispering in her ear, “It’s early yet, my sweet. Chin up. He’ll come.”

Anastasia braved a weak smile. “Of course, Papa. He’ll come.” Her throat clenched around the words she desperately wished were true.

Safely deposited among the ladies on the side of the great hall, Anastasia continued her search for Baldwyn’s auburn hair and clear blue eyes.

When Lord and Lady Kringle were announced, the music began. There was still no sign of Baldwyn. Anastasia clung to her father’s words. It’s early yet. Her gaze made its fourth desperate sweep of the ballroom.

Behind her, a familiar masculine voice drifted to her ears, sending waves of chill dancing down her spine all the way to her toes.

“So lovely to see you again, señorita.”

Mr. Tenorio. Anastasia cringed as though with his words and his smooth exotic accent he had touched her. And then he stepped even with her, standing far too close. She retreated a step, but found herself against Tristan Markham on the other side, who had closed in without her notice.

“Mr. Markham. Mr. Tenorio.” Anastasia offered a shallow curtsy.

“Please.” Mr. Tenorio grasped her hand and lifted it to his lips, pulling her toward him in the same motion. “Allow me to be the first to offer my sympathy, my dear.”

“Sympathy, sir?” she asked, regarding him with contempt.

“On the dissolution of your engagement, of course. It must have been a frightful experience, your entanglement with the Scottish duke. I hear he has a terrifying temper,” Tenorio crooned.

Had it not been for his possessive grip on her hand and the unsettling words about her betrothal, Anastasia would have laughed out loud then, for the proof of Baldwyn’s terrifying temper was still fading from Tenorio’s cheekbone, though he had apparently tried to cover it with powder.

“Pardon me?” Anastasia stared at him. On her other side, Tristan bumped her elbow, pushing her into Tenorio’s chest.

“Yes, yes, señorita. There is no need to pretend all is well. We are friends, no?  ” His grasp slid to her elbow and he held her firmly to him, as his other hand reached to caress her cheek. He smoothed her lips with his thumb.

“No,” she countered and closed her lips into a stern line, glaring into his soul-less black eyes.

“Aww, you wound me, my lady… and after all we’ve shared together.” He clicked his tongue as if to shame her.

“Let go of me.”

~ from Two Turtledoves (coming in November)

Meet & Greet: Gemini

Gemini

Stem 6418C

Gemini has lived in Endfield ever since she can remember. It is the only place she has ever been. Her entire life consists of exercise regimens, dietary regimens, community assignments, regular clinic visits, medical tests, and carefully supervised social interactions. But this strictly regulated life is all she has ever known -- her normal -- and she is perfectly content to maintain this existence and meet the expectations...

Until her closest friend gets his orders. When Gryff leaves, Gem's whole world seems to fall apart.

And that is when Gem discovers that not everything she has known her entire life is as it seems.

Sweet Saturday: Walls

She had taken them by choice—the drugs to suppress her hormones. So the connection she shared with Teo was purely emotional. A deep-seated connection between them that transcended physical interest. And she knew, with Teo, that it was the same for him. All stems were treated with the same hormone suppressing chemicals.

Teo had never needed to touch her. Never wanted to kiss her. Those thoughts were so far from his mind, she knew she was safe with him.

Completely safe.

Completely.

The way Wash was looking at her now frightened her. He was real. Real and fully aware of her effect on him.

Aria tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat, choking her.

"You seem upset," he whispered and took a step closer.

She shook her head adamantly, still unable to speak. Upset? No. Scared to death— that would be more accurate.

No one had touched her in years. Not since... No. She refused to think about it and pushed the dark memory from her mind. It was different now. This was different.

"Then what is it? You're shaking." Wash took another step, coming within reach of her. He lifted his hands and gently rested them on her shoulders, tipping his head to see into her downcast eyes.

She was trembling. She could feel it all through her and the sensation of his hands on her arms doubled the response. The pulse in her neck throbbed so loudly she swore he would hear it.

"Aria?" His deep voice swept over her, drowning her senses.

She was losing herself. Losing sight of who she was—what her life was.

"I—I can't... You can't," Aria stammered, fighting the urge to fall into his embrace. It was only Wash. She had known him for just a few days. He was nothing to her.

But no matter how she chanted that mantra, she knew —it wasn't true.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yes! Yes, you will!" She stepped backward out of his reach. "Don't touch me—" Emotion stung her eyes now, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold back the tears much longer.

She had to get away from him. Had to escape his view. No one must see her cry, know that she was vulnerable. And definitely not Wash. That would be more that Aria could bear, and she was already dangerously close to letting him beyond her carefully constructed walls.

~One Lonely Rose (work in progress, Endfield #2)

Meet & Greet: Gryffon

Gryffon Stem 7217C

"Gryff"

Fun-loving Gryff has lived in Endfield ever since he can remember. He follows the protocol just as he as always done: Exercising, working, eating right. He does everything he is supposed to do, in order to meet the expectations.

When his orders arrive, he quietly says goodbye to his group of friends, to Gem, and reports to the EROMI building... fully knowing that no one ever comes back.

~ All We See or Seem ~

Be Sure to Check It Out

Goodreads Book Giveaway

All We See or Seem

by Leah Sanders

Giveaway ends September 29, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Sweet Saturday: Daddy's Little Girl

The Duke of Montmouth’s Winter Ball was the first the duke had had since his marriage last winter. As such, it promised to be a memorable event. Anastasia Trent, the only daughter of the Earl of Marks, had been looking forward to it for weeks. Ever since her father informed her of the betrothal to Baldwyn Sinclair.

Anastasia had been in love with him for ages, though he had never shown much interest in her. Truth be told, she hadn’t seen him in several years, but that last meeting still made her cringe with abject shame. How she could have ever been so purely disgraceful and immature was beyond her own understanding.

She only hoped he had forgotten the incident.

There was a sort of hope in that he had agreed to the betrothal. At any rate, tonight they would announce their engagement, and he would be hers forever, just as she had always dreamt.

Last year, her eighteenth year, she had begged her father to allow her to sit out another Season and debut at nineteen. She realized it would be strange to be presented so late, but there was only one man she had ever wished to marry, and as he was in Scotland, there was no use in coming out.

Her father had always indulged her every whim, and though Anastasia had never told him her reasons for hesitation, she knew he had a suspicion. When he brought her into his study one day a few weeks ago and asked her how she felt about a marriage to the duke, she could hardly contain her enthusiasm.

Finally, the evening of the ball had arrived. Anastasia had spent the entire day preparing herself—two baths, four hairstyles, and seven gowns later, she was ready to meet her groom-to-be. A bit of the old schoolgirl giddiness bubbled in the pit of her stomach, and she prayed she wouldn’t have to make another trip to the necessary.

Her father awaited her at the foot of the staircase. Her heart soared as she descended, and her feet hardly touched the floor. If the look on her father’s face was any indication, the pale gold gown she had finally settled on was the perfect choice.

“You are a vision, my sweet,” her father crooned, offering his arm gallantly. His broad grin and sparkling blue eyes warmed her heart. He still cut a dashing figure with the brush of silver at his temples, highlighting his chestnut hair. It was a shame he refused to marry again after her mother had passed away.

He often told her she looked like her mother, but Anastasia knew it wasn’t true. She had his hair and his eyes, while her mother was a blonde beauty with marvelous hazel eyes. If she inherited any of her mother’s traits, it would have to be her spirit…her sense of adventure. Though Anastasia hardly remembered, her father told her many stories of Lady Marks’ escapades. Each new story inspired her more than the last.

Her favorite, of course, was the tale of how her mother captured her father’s heart.

It was that story—that fairy tale—that burned in her soul since childhood.

She wanted a story like that.

Meet & Greet: Katherine Bourne

Lady Katherine Bourne

Daughter of the Earl and Countess of Banbury

Lady Katherine, the beautiful but rather accident-prone daughter of the Earl of Banbury, has been infatuated with the Duke of Paisley ever since their first meeting, when she was nothing more than a child. His noble and chivalrous nature has always captured her girlish fantasies.

On the other hand, she has always had a strong aversion to the incorrigible and rakish tendencies of Benedict Devlyn, the Devil Duke. No matter how sinfully handsome he is.

When she hears the news that the Duke of Paisley will be returning from Scotland for a short time to choose a wife, she plans to make certain she is in the forefront of that race. Even better, his grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Durbin, seems to be on her side in the matter.

Imagine her disappointment when she arrives at the Montmouth Winter Ball to discover her one-time ally has already finagled a betrothal between Paisley and some other girl, and had in mind instead that Lady Katherine be a match for none other than the Devil Duke... the last man on Earth she would ever choose.

Sweet Saturday: Deal or No Deal?

“In that case, Anastasia Trent, if you wish to travel in my carriage, you shall have to buy a seat.”

“Is that so? And what is the going rate for passage in such a broken down third-rate conveyance?”

“It is quite expensive, my dear. I fear you cannot afford it.”

“Then you have grossly misjudged me, Your Grace, for I am a lady of some means.” The sparkle in her eyes spelled mischief and mirth. How he loved her. What had taken him so long to realize it? “Name your price, good man. For I am in desperate need to arrive in London today.”

“Desperate need?” Baldwyn put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Very well. The cost for passage to London this day is one kiss… Payable in advance.” He lowered his head to hers, but she slipped one finger in front of his lips, stopping his forward motion inches from her mouth.

“I have not yet consented to your terms, sir.” A wry smile played on her lips. “I wish to offer a counter.”

“Anastasia,” Baldwyn whispered against her finger. “One does not say she is desperate and then expect to have bargaining power.”

She giggled. “No. No, I suppose not. But will you not hear me out?”

“What is your offer, Princess?” He placed a lingering kiss on the finger that blocked his path to her lips.

She brought her hand down to rest on his chest. “Two. One now…” she rose onto her tiptoes, meeting his lips with her own in a slow, warm caress that he could feel all the way through him. Baldwyn was breathless when she pulled away. “…And the second payable on safe delivery.”

He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “Sweet Anastasia,” he whispered hoarsely. “You have much to learn about bargaining.”

~Two Turtledoves (work in progress)

Meet & Greet: Benedict Devlyn, the Duke of Creighton

Benedict Devlyn

Duke of Creighton

"The Devil Duke"

After the death of his parents, Benedict Devlyn was taken in and raised by his Aunt Agatha, the Dowager Duchess of Durbin. She was strict and insisted on things being done her way. Benedict, however, was a strong-willed child who never liked to do things by the book. And so he came by his nickname, "the Devil Duke" quite honestly by doing exactly whatever pleased him.

A man of rapidly changing tastes, he has had eight different mistresses in the last year, whom he hires as his housekeeper for as long as they can hold his interest.

It should come as no surprise, that he has no intention to marry any time soon. No woman can capture his heart. But his aunt is growing impatient. She will see him married before her time comes, no matter what methods she must employ to see it done. Poor fellow, he won't even know what hit him!

Sweet Saturday: Lost

The darkness fell around her like a blanket of coal black ink, muddied only by the flurries which steadily increased in intensity. She glanced about her but could see nothing. No landmarks of note.

In her despair Anastasia had wandered haphazardly, not sure which direction she had taken from the house. Not a single star lit the darkness, the clouds where black and thick, concealing the moon and all the stars.

Fear gripped her chest, stealing her breath. She twirled wildly, eyes widened in search for something…some indication of where she might be.

Her foot caught on an unmoving obstruction in the path, sending her flailing to the cold, hard ground. She landed with a crunch on her hands and knees. Her hand caught a sharp rock, and she felt the tear of flesh through her glove. A cry wrenched from her throat, piercing the silence of the dark.

On hands and knees, Anastasia felt the ground all around her until her gloved hand found the rough solid root of an oak tree. Her oak tree. Tracing the root to the trunk, she eased herself into the crook at its base.

She had been there a thousand times. More times than she could count. Huddling tightly against the trunk, she was able to block the cold wind somewhat. Her thin evening shawl offered little protection, and though she hadn’t felt it when she fled the manor house, the ice was beginning to settle in her veins now, cutting right through the fabric of her bodice and undergarments.

Perhaps not such a blind stumble after all. Something deep inside her guided her to the one place she had always felt free and safe.

The throbbing pain in her left hand drew her attention. Her glove was drenched with warm moisture out of place in the dead of winter. She lifted her hand to the space right in front of her eyes, but the darkness made it impossible to make out any more than a silhouette.

She peeled off her glove and wrapped it tightly around the cut, then clutched the wounded hand to her chest. Anastasia could find her way back to the house blindfolded, but she wasn’t ready. Not ready to face him yet.

Closing her eyes, she recalled the memory of that afternoon so many years ago. Perhaps she had been far too absorbed in her fantasy. Perhaps she had looked at the man through rose-colored glasses for too long. He might never be to her everything she imagined him to be.

But she simply wasn’t ready to give up on him.

Anastasia huddled closer to the ground and shivered. She should be heading back.

~ Two Turtledoves (work in progress)