Spotlight on Sunday

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Spotlight on One Hour in Freedom, published today

Book 3 in Lion’s Zoo

Once they meant everything to one another.

First, in London’s meanest streets and later in Spain facing Napoleon’s army, where betrayal and lies tore them apart. When the machinations of a criminal compel Ellie Nomikos to seek out Dan Moriarty, she doesn’t know what to expect.

With the mysterious King Nemesis circling for the kill, they must learn to trust one another again. Together, can they discover his identity and bring him to justice before he finds and kills the person most precious to them in the world?

The stakes could not be higher. Their love. Their lives. Their daughter.

Buy now: https://books2read.com/LionZooOHiF

Excerpt

The neutral expression Daniel habitually wore dropped for a moment to reveal surprise, then delight and lust, before he reimposed control over his features.

He stood to one side. “Ellie. Please come in.” The huskiness of his voice sent her body humming, as did his state of dress—or undress. He had wrapped a towel around his waist to open the door, but—apart from that scrap of fabric—he was naked.

She swallowed against a suddenly dry throat and walked past him into the room.

“Give me a moment,” he demanded. He went behind a dressing screen. He is quite correct. We need to talk. Ellie took a deep breath and attempted to distract herself from her sudden lust by cataloguing the contents of the room. A bed. A couple of chairs by the fire, one of which had a half full glass on the little table beside it. She sat in the other chair, and continued her examination.

A clothes press. A side table under the window. Another by the door. Very similar to her own room, so probably a washstand and some pegs for clothes behind the dressing screen.

Daniel was there, too, presumably armouring himself against her lustful eyes by hiding his glorious chest and strong legs under clothing. But the sight was engraved on her eyeballs, and her efforts to think of something else were not working.

He emerged in a pair of trousers, with a shirt worn loose over the top. “Still undress,” he said, “but not quite as scandalous.”

“Not scandalous at all, under the circumstances,” she pointed out.

“Yes, but the household doesn’t know that, do they?” he argued. “Do you want a whisky, Ellie? Lion brings it down from Northumberland. They brew it in the hills there. He has his family seat up that way.”

“I have never tried whisky,” Ellie admitted. “Perhaps just a little. As to the scandal of my presence here, or not… that is one of the things I wanted to talk about.”

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Spotlight on Under the Harvest Moon

We’re celebrating the first reviews as they begin to arrive. I think we have another winner, here, people. If you haven’t preordered, go for it now. The preorder price won’t last long after publication.

For more information about the book and its stories, see our project page. https://bluestockingbelles.net/belles-joint-projects/under-the-harvest-moon/

For preorder links, see Books2Read. https://books2read.com/UnderHarvestMoon

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Spotlight on It Began with a Kiss

❥•*•☆❥•*•🌹 It Began With A Kiss 🌹•*•❥☆•*•❥

By Sherry Ewing

Sometimes you need to listen when your heart begins to sing…

Aiden of Clan MacLaren, a warrior seeking purpose, finds himself in the service of King Henry II. Tasked with a mission that will shape his destiny, he never expects to cross paths with Lady Iona Ferguson, a woman burdened by her duties as the widow of a powerful clan chieftain. A chieftain who died when Aiden takes over her husband’s castle.

As Aiden takes charge of Iona’s home and seeks justice for her late husband, their lives become intertwined in ways neither could have predicted.

Will their love conquer the boundaries of clan, country, and duty? Or will their differences tear them apart forever?

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bxNdWd

Excerpt

She turned her face upward and gave him an enchanting smile and his own face brightened that she did not protest being brought close to his side. They began to walk the battlements until they reached the part of the wall facing most of the moon lit ocean. He nodded his head toward the guards who were nearby. They took the hint and disappeared further along the walkway, leaving him and Iona in privacy.

He took Iona’s hand and brought it to his lips. “I am glad you wished to join me here this eve, Iona,” Aiden stated honestly and with an open heart. “You give me hope for a future together.”

She turned her face upward again to stare at him with those wonderous blue eyes. A man could get lost in such a look. “I am still uncertain if this will work out between us, Aiden,” she whispered.

“Do you fear me?” he asked hoping that this was not the cause of her apprehension.

“Nay, I do not, nor do I fear any man,” she replied, jutting out her chin, “even when ye tied me tae that chair.”

“’Twas a necessity, I assure you, and now highly regretted on my part. Can you forgive me?” Her bravery was to be applauded and was most likely the reason he was drawn to her. A woman who could stand up to him and share her thoughts was appealing to Aiden. He would never be able to stand a wife who cowered down to him for the rest of their lives.

Meet Sherry Ewing

In 2014, I saw my first self-published work, If My Heart Could See You, hit Amazon’s bestseller list at #3 for the eBook three days after the paperback released. I was stunned and have been humbly grateful to my readers who have made all my books hit those wonderful charts. And so it began…

When I’m not writing, I love to read historical and time travel novels (naturally) and am a huge NASCAR fan. As a matter-of-fact, I do some of my best writing listening to the hum of the engines in the background! I love to camp, although I haven’t had the time since I’ve moved back to the city. I also enjoy hiking, the beach, and checking out our National Parks when the opportunity presents itself.

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Research takes us down byways and along highways

How inspiration works is a true mystery. Nonetheless I am grateful that it does work. When I began to draft my novella A Harvest Blessing, I knew that my hero, a vicar’s son returning home after Waterloo, would be walking up the path to knock on the front door of the vicarage, his childhood home.

But I’d never been to a vicarage, nor met a vicar for that matter. Thus, my first research efforts for this story were not about Waterloo, or British soldiers, or even French emigres. My heroine is one of those. No, my first research was about this building, the pathway leading to it, and the front door. I could see the entire event in my mind’s eye, but I could not have described the materials from which the house was constructed. For that I needed a picture or two and perhaps a description of a vicarage as it might have looked in 1815. I must have spent an hour searching for period accurate images of vicar’s homes. I found several, but the one that struck me as most like the home of Thom Owen and his father is pictured on the right.

I was doubly blessed when I found this image because it came with a description. The description references a ‘refacing’ circa 1872 but also refers to a number of the building’s features that existed prior to that time.

“House, early C18, altered early C19 and extended at front and largely refaced, probably by John Douglas 1872. Stone-dressed brick; tiled roofs. 2 storeys plus attic. Jacobean. Cross-gable right; octagonal entrance turret with spire (coved plaster eaves); recessed, lower,service wing left with cross-gable at end. Mullioned windows of stone and brick; leaded glazing; oak door in stone surround, mid C20 to wall behind turret; panelled brickwork; plastered gables with brick diapering. A well-composed vernacular revival reworking of an older house; the expression and materials strongly suggest John Douglas as architect.

Interior. Amongst many later C19 features of good quality, with some C20 modifications which fully maintain the character, an early C18 oak-panelled room and the open-well oak stair with 3 turned balusters per step and oak dado panelling are major items.” [Same Source as Photo] 

Below is the text of the scene in which Captain Owen finally comes home.

EXCERPT from A Harvest Blessing

Captain Thomas Paul Owen recommended the ladies remain in the carriage and approached the vicarage door. Memories threatened to swamp him. 

His mother holding his hand as they followed Papa to church. Then, a year later, following his father alone. 

The years of silent meals and disciplined study. Thank heaven he loved to read. His mother may have died, but his father did his duty by his son. Successful study was praised. Failure received frowns and a warning to try harder. 

As he’d grown older, he’d tried to discuss topics his father categorically said were wrong. Those attempts had met with many a supperless night. Until the final disagreement that had sent him from home. 

Thom raised his hand to the knocker. His heart raced, and his empty stomach knotted. He clutched the iron ring in the lion’s mouth, waiting for the familiar and fearsome dizziness to pass.

His father’s last words to him rang in his ears. “Don’t do this, son. God forbids killing for good reason. War and taking others’ lives can break a man’s soul.”

He’d turned his back on his father and had gone off to fight Boney along with his childhood friends. Too many of them had died. Those few who survived returned home broken in body or spirit or both. 

Thom was one of those. War had broken him—part of him, but he could never confess such to his father. The right reverend, Doctor Joshua Issac Owen, Vicar of Reabridge saw everything through the lens of unshakeable faith. It would give him no pleasure to say ‘I told you so.’ Nonetheless he would say it, and Thom had no wish to hear it. His soul might be held together by a thread, but he had some pride.

Finally steady, he rapped the iron ring on the wood three times. More than once in the journey from England’s southeast coast, he’d told himself this was a bad idea. But he had exhausted all options. Others depended on him now. He must swallow his fears and his remaining shreds of pride to seek help for them.

About A Harvest Blessing: After Waterloo, Captain Thom Owen is uncertain what to do with himself. Then fate casts Charité du Pessac and her aunt in his path. No gentleman would abandon a damsel as brave and kind as Miss du Pessac, but how can he help her? With no clear solution in mind, Thom escorts the ladies home to his father.

Charité ‘s aunt believes her niece and the captain are engaged, and Charité fears the captain’s father will not welcome them. She is French after all, and while the captain might not object to her nationality, others—like his father—might disapprove of a marriage between former enemies.

About Under the Harvest Moon, A Bluestocking Belles with Friends Collection

By Caroline Warfield, Jude Knight, Sherry Ewing, Cerise DeLand, Elizabeth Ellen Carter, Collette Cameron, Mary Lancaster, Alina K. Field, and Rue Allyn

As the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.

But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge.

With two prominent families feuding for generations and the central event of the Harvest Moon festival looming, tensions rise, and secrets begin to surface.

Nine award winning and bestselling authors have combined their talents to create this engaging and enchanting collection of interrelated tales. Under the Harvest Moon promises an unforgettable read for fans of Regency romance.

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Universal Link: https://books2read.com/UnderHarvestMoon

About Rue Allyn

Author of historical and contemporary romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. (She claims she was a precocious little brat who read at the age of two but could hear much earlier than that.) She studied literature for far too many years before discovering that writing stories was much more fun than writing about them. One of her greatest pleasures as an author is being able to read the story before anyone else. Rue is happily married to her sweetheart of many, many years. Insatiably curious, an avid reader and traveler, she loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real-life adventures. Crazy Cat stories are especially welcome. You can contact her at Rue@RueAllyn.com. She can’t wait to hear from you.

Find Rue OnLine: WEBSITE   FB    AMAZON    GOODREADS   BOOKBUB

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Spotlight on Night of Lyons

Today’s new publication is Night of Lyons, a multi-author collection that includes my story, Crossing the Lyon.

It’s London’s hottest ticket!

The Lyon’s Den, London’s most notorious gambling hell, is having a Mystère Masque in honor of the proprietress’ birthday. It’s a night of gambling, dancing, and most of all, of sexy and forbidden romance. While London’s ton shuns the ball, it’s secretly the hottest ticket in town.

The event is an exclusive invitation-only gala except for a few invitations that are mysteriously delivered to certain homes. Called Invocation Mystère, no one knows how or why the invitations arrive, only that they do – and everyone wants one.

It’s a night to remember at the great Mystère Masque at the notorious Lyon’s Den where anything goes!

Authors in this collection include:
Chasity Bowlin
Ruth A. Casie
Lynne Connolly
Sofie Darling
Sandra Sookoo
C.H. Admirand
Sara Adrien
Belle Ami
Abigail Bridges
Jenna Jaxon
Rachel Ann Smith
Aurrora St. James

Buy links:

https://amzn.to/40PmXce

https://books2read.com/CtLinNoL

Excerpt ffrom Crossing the Lyon

Mrs. Dove Lyons removed a sheet of paper from the envelope, perused it, then put it down. She took the lid off the hat box and removed two wrapped items. She unwrapped and placed them side by side on the desk before her.

“I have not had a classical education,” Lenora told her, “but I have been informed that such masks and the costumes appropriate to them would attract—attention of a kind my sister and I do not wish to encourage.”

Ban should think so! He had had a classical education, and immediately recognized the symbolism of the masks. Venus and Cupid, as the Romans called them. Or Aphrodite and Eros, in the Greek Pantheon. The masks were an invitation to rape.

Mrs. Dove Lyons understood, too. Even though her face was hidden by the veil, Ban could sense her outrage, feel it pouring off her. “This was not my work, Miss Kingsmead, Miss Ursula. I was promised that the person in question intended to do you a good turn. This…” her gesture towards the desk encompassed both masks and the letter… “This is unacceptable.”

“Who is this person?” Lenora demanded.

Her question was met by a considering silence. “No,” the widow said, after a long moment. “I am not prepared to disclose my acquaintance’s identity at this moment.” She held up a hand when all four of them opened their mouths to respond. Such was the lady’s presence that they all stayed silent.

“In due time. You have my word,” she said. She folded her hands on the desk. “Leave the masks with me. I shall provide replacements so that you can come to the party without any fear.”

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Spotlight on “Moonlight Wishes and Midnight Kisses” in Under the Harvest Moon

by Collette Cameron

Chronicles of the Westbrook Brides

Time can heal most wounds. Only love can heal what remains…

A wounded veteran with no future…

There was a time when Cortland Marlow-Westbrook wanted little more than to marry the Scottish lass who stole his heart and build a life with her. But that was before the war left its mark on his body and soul. Now, scarred and disabled, all he wants is to be left alone. Unfortunately, fate—and the only woman he ever loved—have another plan in mind…

An heiress who mourns the past…

Avery Levingtone was heartbroken when Cortland went off to war and never responded to a single letter she sent. But now he’s back, and she refuses to waste the second chance they’ve been given. She’ll do whatever it takes to win back her wounded warrior’s heart and prove they were meant to be together—or she’ll remain a spinster forever. On this there can be no compromise…

Can Cortland overcome the pain of his past and embrace a loving future with Avery? Or will he deny his happily ever after…and hers?

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“Moonlight Wishes and Midnight Kisses” is the first story in Under the Harvest Moon, now on preorder at the special pre-release price of 99c.

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Spotlight on Snowy and the Seven Doves

Will Snowy be able to prove his identity, claim his birthright and make Margaret his viscountess before his stepfather succeeds in eliminating him forever?

The child found beaten and half dead in an alley has grown to a man. Seven soiled doves rescued him and raised him in their brothel. Now he must rise above his origins to hunt down the enemy who tried to kill him.

When she found herself in the wrong place at the right time, Lady Margaret Charmain’s life was saved by the man she knows as Snowy White. So when his self-titled aunt asks Margaret to help him make his way into the ton, she agrees to help, not knowing he intends to use the opportunity to confront his wicked stepfather.

Margaret upends Snowy’s negative conceptions about Polite Society, especially as her associates and friends come to his aid and to help him reclaim his stolen title from Viscount Snowden. Before long, he realizes his destiny includes her as his wife; after all, she wakened him to his true self with her kiss.

But the fraudulent Lord Snowden will stop at nothing to hide his misdeeds, even murder.

Published 10 August. Purchase now: https://amzn.to/3TIM5in

Excerpt

Snowy had to admit that the countess sounded as if she knew her herbs. Besides, Jasmine could do with the help. She was the oldest of the seven soiled doves who had pooled their resources to start the House of Blossoms. (“Soiled doves” was one of the politer terms the gentlemen visitors used for the women who serviced them.) Jasmine had been having unpleasant cramps during her woman’s inconvenience for as long as Snowy could remember, and they had become worse in the past three years. He hoped Lady Charmain’s remedy would give her some relief.

Like Poppy and Lily, Jasmine no longer accommodated the gentlemen visitors. Her piano playing, though, was a favorite entertainment for those who were waiting for the girl of their choice, recovering from a bout of mattress thrashing, or just spending an evening out.

A surprising number of gentlemen came to the House of Blossoms merely to play cards, listen to the music, enjoy Poppy’s cooking, and talk. Lily, who had been one of the most sought-after courtesans of her generation, taught the girls that listening to their clients with every sign of fascination was an even more important skill than those they exercised upstairs.

Other residents of the house were also troubled each month by the same complaint, if not as badly. If the poultice proved successful, it would make a difference to them, too.

Snowy relaxed once he saw how Lady Charmain addressed Poppy. He knew she was polite to Lily, but Lily had a presence about her that demanded respect. Even the most drunken and arrogant of lordings spoke respectfully to Lily’s face, whatever they might say behind her back.

Poppy was a different matter. She had no such air of command, though she certainly demanded perfection from the girls who worked in the kitchen. She still spoke with more than a trace of the accent of the county from which she hailed. And she was a cook—a lesser being in the eyes of the likes of the countess.

But Poppy had a kind heart and a happy outlook on life. Of the seven women who had raised Snowy, she was the one he had gone to with a scraped knee or hurt feelings. She had always had an encouraging word, a hug or a kiss, and something delicious to eat. So even though Snowy was protective of all the original Blossoms, Poppy had a special place in his heart.

Lady Charmain had greeted her with courtesy. The countess was now paying serious attention to Poppy’s questions and answering them politely. She even laughed when Poppy made a joke. Perhaps, she was not that bad, after all.

 

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Spotlight on Because of You

Because of You by Cerise DeLand

Book 2 in Matrimony

Love does not advertise. Love is not proud.
But when a young woman has nothing left but pride, she places an ad and hopes for a husband to treasure.
Miss ‘Daisy’ Molyneaux is desperate. All her family is dead. Her home in Normandy, attacked by mobs. Now that the little general has abdicated, she has a chance to gain back her lands. But she needs a husband who will help her regain her rights. So she pays to post an advert for a husband.
When the man who answers is not one she could ever love, but his nephew could be, can she accept his proposal?
Garrick Ruxton appears to her like a golden-haired hero, a handsome creature who saves her from an imperfect marriage. Garrick vows to accompany Daisy to France and, in the bargain, solve his own problem. His shipments, meant for British forces on the Continent, constantly go missing. He knows not who or how or why the thieves steal his goods. Worse, someone has attempted to kill his uncle. Daisy, too.
Garrick must find all those guilty before he is accused of treason. Before Daisy loses all hope of regaining her rights. And before they both lose the one chance they have to find happiness together.
BUY LINK:
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Spotlight on Christmas in July

It’s Christmas in July, with more than 75 historical romance books, many of them Christmas and romance-themed, available for the whole month. Go to https://books.bookfunnel.com/christmasinjulyhistrom/hzdhbid0cm to see the books and join the fun.

My offering is If Mistletoe Could Tell Tales, which contains six Christmas themed stories.

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Spotlight on A Fairweather Friend

A Fair-Weather Friend

An enemies-to-lovers sweet historical romance

Book 2: Summer (A Year in Cherrybrook)

Is the wrong brother the right man?

Marian Lyle, the vicar’s daughter, has a talent for sewing and a memory for details. Give her something to memorise or sew, and she’s sharp as a pin. But when it comes to understanding men.… She’s hopeless!

Marian’s ready heart tells her that newcomer Jonas Talbot is more than a fair-weather friend, he might be the man she can say “yes” to. But just when Marian is expecting a marriage proposal, Jonas disappears from Cherrybrook unannounced, leaving her hurt and confused.

When Jonas’s curmudgeonly brother John arrives to discover his brother’s whereabouts, he finds that Jonas has apparently won the affections of naive Miss Lyle. Well and good, for if Jonas marries her, it might save the Talbot family from another scandal it can ill afford. But soon John begins to doubt the wisdom of insisting upon the match for Marian’s sake…. and maybe even his own.

When threads are untangled and truths are told, which brother is the right brother, and what will come of summer love?

Excerpt

… a stranger stood before them with all the friendliness of an executioner awaiting his next job. The sunlight was pouring in through a window behind the man and she could not make out his features at all, only that he was stocky and stood with his arms crossed menacingly.

“Which of you is Miss Lyle?” he barked.

From behind the looming silhouette, Marian was relieved to hear Mr. Jennings’ solicitous voice, “Miss Lyle, Esther, do come in! Mr. Talbot, step aside.”

Marian’s hand flew to her mouth and she stifled a gasp. Esther grabbed at her arm painfully.

The uncongenial human door block stepped aside, and the ladies pressed into the room giving him ample berth, their eyes wide.

While Mr. Jennings was hurrying from his cluttered desk with his hand extended in welcome, the door closed behind them with a shocking slam.

Mr. Jennings did his best to make them comfortable in two soft chairs that were in the corner of the paneled room, and only after Marian concluded that Esther looked none the worse for the shock, did she dare to study the stranger who no longer appeared as a frightening dark shape against the sunlight.

This Mr. Talbot was nothing like the Mr. Talbot she knew.

Meet Charlotte Brothers

Delighted to add story-crafting to her life adventures, Charlotte is fortunate to have experienced many rather ordinary, wonderful things like mothering, wife-ing (should be a verb), reading, traveling, and gardening as well as an extraordinary art education which carried her and her family to Italy for a couple of years.

As life got busier she took a hiatus from fiction in favor of lots and lots of art books. Fortunately, that all changed one particularly dreary January day when her husband brought home a genre romance novel to cheer her up.

She began reading stories again (funny how one can find the time), and soon discovered a desire to write her own.

Her books have been described as having “light, flowing prose” with “well-developed characters” who often engage in “witty” dialogue. She would never claim to have the mastery of Austen, Heyer or L. M. Montgomery, but those beloved authors are her guiding lights.

Website: www.charlottebrothersauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlottebrothersauthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/charlotte-brothers

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomcharlottebrothers