Dec 28, 2015 | Blog, December 2015, Jenny Holiday
The Engagement Game (a 49th Floor Novel) by Jenny Holiday is a must read novel about love, blackmail and a little holiday fun.
When Rosie Verma accidentally mixes up two letters what will happen when she attempts to retrieve it?
Marcus Rosemanns needs a date for a charity ball otherwise his family won’t leave him alone. This year he plans on bringing Rose, but does a date that’s based on blackmail count as true love?
When things get out of hand, who will call it off? Will they both wind up falling in love despite the reason they were brought together in the first place?
If you’re looking for a book where friendships mean everything and love should have a happy ending then you will love this installment of the 49th Floor novel.
While this book can be read as a standalone it is part of a fantastic series. Discover Jenny’s backlist and find out why I am looking forward to her next release.
This spicy latte read has enough heat to make you tingle, proceed 
with caution – it might offend and is for mature readers 18+. At $2.99 it’s a great way to ring in the new year!
Author Bio:
Jenny Holiday started writing in fourth grade, when her awesome hippie teacher, between sessions of Pete Seeger singing and anti-nuclear power plant letter writing, gave the kids notebooks and told them to write stories. Most of Jenny’s featured poltergeist, alien invasions, or serial killers who managed to murder everyone except her and her mom. She showed early promise as a romance writer, though, because nearly every story had a happy ending: fictional Jenny woke up to find that the story had been a dream, and that her best friend, father, and sister had not, in fact, been axe-murdered. From then on, she was always writing, often in her diary, where she liked to decorate her declarations of existential angst with nail polish teardrops. Eventually she channeled her penchant for scribbling into a more useful format. After picking up a PhD in urban geography, she became a professional writer, and has spent many years promoting research at a major university, which allows her to become an armchair astronomer/historian/particle physicist, depending on the day. Eventually, she decided to try her hand again at happy endings–minus the bloodbaths. You can follow her twitter accounts @jennyholi and @TropeHeroine or visit her on the web at jennyholiday.com.
Dec 22, 2015 | Blog, December 2015, Donna MacMeans
First, if we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte with Coconut Milk 🙂 What would you order?
Probably a Diet Dr. Pepper or an iced tea with lemon. Sorry not a coffee drinker. However, I love coffee ice cream – especially if it has chocolate chunks in it. Maybe we can find a coffee shop by an ice cream store (grin).
Thanks so much for hanging out with me today. I know I’ve said this before but I need to say it again, thank you. You are the reason I started blogging and it’s been a fabulous journey so far.
Awww…that’s so sweet.
I’ve enjoyed and read most of your books, a few are still patiently waiting in my e-reader. All of them have such strong and daring heroines and the heroes well…they are a force to be reckoned with too. Do you have a favorite?
It’s very difficult to choose a favorite among my books because they’ve each taught me something about myself or my writing. The two books that caused me the most difficulty were The SEDUCTION OF THE DUKE and REDEEMING THE ROGUE. I don’t plot in advance of writing a book. I know story structure and I tend to write from plot point to plot point letting the story develop as I go. When I wrote SEDUCTION OF THE DUKE, I had no idea what the black moment would be. My deadline was rapidly approaching and I didn’t know what to do. Then I considered my hero and what would be the most devastating thing to him personally. That became the black moment and that taught me to look to the character in planning a black moment.
Was there one story that gave you a challenge while their story developed?
REDEEMING THE ROGUE was a challenge because all I knew about the back end of that book was that the hero would be charged with treason and that he would have to uncover some dastardly plot that led to the death of his predecessor. And, of course, it would all happen in Washington DC during President Garfield’s administration. I knew the very ending to the book, but how to get there was a mystery. It all worked out, however. I continue to hear from readers that REDEEMING THE ROGUE is one of their favorites, and that a secondary character, Phineas Connor, deserves his own book. (I agree, he’s on the list) That book taught me not to give up. All things are possible with perseverance and dynamite.
In terms of pure enjoyment, writing CHARMING THE PROFESSOR has been entertaining and fun. I love this book! I actually started it years and years ago. I’d only finished chapter one when I abandoned it to write this great new idea that became THE EDUCATION OF MRS. BRIMLEY. But the time travel never left my mind. Recently, I needed to write something different for myself and so I finished CHARMING THE PROFESSOR. It’s a great story. I hope you enjoy it.
For those who have not read your books I find that fact that you’ve published in a few different genres exiting. Do you have a favorite? Does that present any challenges for you as a writer?
LOL – I do not recommend my tendency to hop around to different genres to any sane author. Do not do this! But a little background might explain why this happened to me.
I started out as a suspense writer. I have two full romantic suspense novels written, one published under a different name. I recently received the rights back to that novel. I’m revising it to fit more modern times and then I plan to release that one in 2016. At the time, I thought my future lay in suspense.
But then I heard about a contest with great possibilities. I had to submit something like four or five pages of a scene with great sexual tension in either the contemporary or historical category. I had an idea for a striptease, but that doesn’t work in modern society. The scene would work best in an historical. I got more and more excited over the plot possibilities as I plotted out the who, what, where, and why. That book eventually became THE EDUCATION OF MRS. BRIMLEY. I never entered that contest, but I finished the book and started shopping it around and entering it in writing contests.
No one wanted that book! I was rejected by everyone and, as a result, was seriously depressed. Obviously, I was not meant to write historicals! So I’d dusted off that time travel I started earlier and tried to make my way in paranormal when I was struck with a really exciting idea. How about an invisible woman in Victorian London? The story for what is now BOUND BY MOONLIGHT flowed to me as if I was channeling a character. Fastest book I’ve ever written. When I was writing the fifth chapter, MRS. BRIMLEY won the Golden Heart and sold to Berkley in a three book contract. We submitted my invisible heroine as the second book and Berkley took it, but told me that they wanted a sequel to MRS. BRIMLEY. That led to two more straight historicals. Guess I could write historicals after all. (grin).
Fans of BOUND BY MOONLIGHT have asked about a sequel to that book. Berkley prohibited me from writing one, but now with the advent of independent publishing, I can write a sequel or two. Those are also on my list (grin).
What was your inspiration for the Charm Gates Time-Travel Series? It’s so uniquely and different. I hope everyone reads this book and discovers how magical New Orleans is.
Love hearing that you love that story (grin). The inspiration for the book are the actual Charm Gates themselves. Let me explain. About July 2003, a friend and I went to an RWA convention in New Orleans – mainly because it was in New Orleans (grin). We played hookey from most of the workshops and instead roamed the Vieux Carre, otherwise known as the French Quarter. After having our fortunes told at the Bottom of the Cup, we crossed the street to go to The Court of Two Sisters for lunch. As we went down what seemed to be a long unfinished hallway to get to the restaurant, we discovered an old set of iron gates with a sign proclaiming the gates to be the “Charm Gates.” According to the sign, the gates were blessed by Queen Isabella so that all that touched them would receive their charm. Cute right? I have pictures of me holding on those gates in case anyone doubts my charm, LOL.
Later, I listened to an RWA tape of a Barbara Mason workshop—one of the ones I’d skipped at RWA—that said that, as writers, there was something in New Orleans that we were meant to see. It could be a billboard, or a person that could be used as a character in a book. So think about what made an impression on you. Easy – for me, it would be those Charm Gates. I originally thought I’d have the gates channel Queen Isabella into some unsuspecting nasty person and force them be charming, but as I researched Queen Isabella, “charming” would be the last word one would use to describe her. She was nasty. If anyone needed a charm teacher, it would be her… that started me thinking about how the Queen would have reacted to an attractive charm teacher and the premise for CHARMING THE PROFESSOR was born. I absolutely loved my visit to New Orleans years ago and am thrilled it’s the setting for your latest release. I hope you have been able to visit a few times, for research of course 😉
I’ve been back a couple of times, probably about three weeks in total. Funny thing – I’d told my husband all about the bare unfinished hallway at the Court of Two Sisters and the treasure it holds. I insisted we go there for lunch on one of those trips. He opened the door to the hallway and BAM! Everything had changed! There were pictures on the walls, a festive covering hanging from the ceiling, nothing like the hallway that I remembered. The Charm Gates are still there. They have gaudy lights strung all 
over them, but they’re still there. Here’s a picture. That’s my agent standing by the Charm Gates. (That’s from my last trip to New Orleans when Romantic Times had their convention there.)
How many books do you anticipate for this new series? I hope we won’t have to wait too long for the second installment.
I didn’t originally plan to do a sequel, but then my agent said I had to have one if she was to sell the book. So now I have a sequel planned that I’m calling CHARMING THE THIEF and I love it. It involves the Queen’s necklace, the Moor’s Tear, and a fun romp across Europe with one thief stealing from the other. However, at the moment I’m writing the next Rake Patrol book – TO BAIT A RAKE. Know that the time travel sequel is waiting and fully plotted should make me finish up the Rake Patrol book ASAP!!!
Kuddos to your designer for the cover of Charming the Professor it’s absolutely perfect! The colors…they are so vibrant. Well done!
Thanks. Lyndsey Lewellen is responsible for the beautiful cover. It’s even more beautiful in the print edition as the cover wraps around to the back. You get to see her hand in that long white glove, holding her dress. One thing I love about independent publishing, as soon as I saw the cover Lyndsey had created, I was able to go back into the
story and change a few details. My hero now wears a gold bow tie and suspenders to the big dance and my heroine has her hair fixed as shown on the cover. I wouldn’t be able to do that with my Berkley covers.
Thanks for letting me join you today. I hope your readers give CHARMING THE PROFESSOR a try. It’s a fun book that I think you’ll enjoy.
I’m happy to give away a copy of THE MOOR’S TEAR, which is a sort of prequel to CHARMING THE PROFESSOR to someone leaving a comment – or asking a question.
Contest Closed…Congratulations to:
Saraleee 🙂 Thank you to all who commented and I hope
everyone has a Happy New Year!
Thank you so much for having Coffee With me and the giveaway! Happy Reading and Happy Writing!
*****ICYMI*****
My review of Charming the Professor that posted yesterday.
Just $3.99 for this must read book at most e-retailers.
**All photos provided by Donna MacMeans
8 Tantalizing Tidbits
1. What is your Must read book and why? For me that would be Dianna Gabaldon’s Outlander (Hah! Another time travel!) The reason is personal. Outlander turned me on to romance. After reading it, I was determined to read another romance and found one that was similar, though not a time travel, in that it featured an English heroine and a Scottish hero, written by a NYT bestselling author. I hated it. Absolutely hated it. I figured I could do better than that. I tried and have been hooked on writing ever since.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? I live in a little suburb/small college town. I can only think of two “must see” features. One is the large reservoir because water is always calming. The other is the Inniswoods botanical gardens which are close to my house. It’s 121 acres of formal gardens, water gardens, rose gardens, forest walks, frog ponds, etc. It makes for a beautiful walk any time of year. Stop by the gardens, then walk over to my house for tea and cookies (grin).
3. Castles or Beaches? Both please. Love to explore old castles (and the countries they are found in) and as a Maryland girl, I love the ocean and the beach – and the food!
4. What is one thing readers would be surprised to know about you? I can rip a phone book in half. That used to be a cool trick but it’s hard to find big thick phone books anymore. Hmmm….guess I’ll have to come up with a new fun fact.
5. Hard Rock or Classical? Favorite Band or Artist? Rock and Roll! I love to dance – met my husband on the dance floor and we’ve been dancing ever since. But it’s classic rock for us. In their day, I loved the Moody Blues and the Beatles.
6. What’s your favorite movie of all time and why? I was thinking about this the other day. I love the original Star Wars and Star Trek, but there’s one movie that I stumbled upon years ago that I absolutely loved called Hanover Street. It’s an old Harrison Ford movie that takes place during WWII. It reminds me a bit like Outlander in that one married woman falls in love with two men and must choose between them. I start crying as soon as I hear the music – LOL. I’m going to have to dig out that DVD.
7. Would you rather see a movie in the theatre or at home on DVD and why? I love going to the movies. There’s nothing like munching on a big bowl of popcorn while sitting in the dark with my sweetie. Now that they put those really nice lounge chairs in the theatres, it’s a lot like watching at home. (Except the controls to make the feet go up and down are located right by my elbow and I often hit it accidentally. My daughter thinks it’s the funniest thing. LOL). If the movie is good, then I like to add the DVD to my collection. Movies act as inspiration and I often use them as research.
8. What’s your favorite TV show and why? I don’t watch a lot of TV but I do have favorites. I’m a big fan of the Big Bang Theory and Mom. Love comedy. I love Downton Abbey when it runs as it appeals to my historical writing side. My husband and I like to watch Game of Thrones and Walking Dead together. It’s our date night (grin). Both those shows have great hooks and cliff hangers. Gotta watch them. I hate reality shows, doesn’t matter if they cook, clean, fight, or date – hate them.
Author Info:
Award winning author Donna MacMeans made a wrong turn many years ago when she majored in Accounting at Ohio State University. What was she thinking? Balancing books just can’t compete with crafting plots and inventing memorable characters. She finally broke free from her life as a CPA to write witty and seductive Victorian historicals for Berkley Publishing in what can only be described as her dream job.
Her books have won numerous awards including the prestigious Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America, and the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Historical Love & Laughter, as well as recognition in many regional contests. Her books consistently receive high praise and glowing reviews.
Donna is also the recipient of the 2013 RWA Service Award, the 2014 RWA Pro Mentor award and currently serves as RWA Treasurer.
An avid reader, she uses the analytical skills learned as an accountant to analyze novels in an effort to constantly improve her own craft – and then teaches those skills in workshops around the country.
A member of the popular Romance Bandits blog group, she is always approachable. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband of forty+ years. Please contact her at www.DonnaMacMeans.com
Dec 21, 2015 | Blog, December 2015, Donna MacMeans
Charming the Professor by Donna MacMeans is a sweeping adventure from the city of New Orleans to the majestic country of Spain. With a gorgeous cover and characters that capture your heart you too will find yourself e-mailing Donna asking her when she will be finished with the next instalment.
I’ve read a lot of time travel romance stories and this tops my list of all time favorites. It’s clear to the reader that Donna did her homework as the details are carefully worked through and eloquently executed. Combining science, folklore and unexplained historical events this book has everything to make it a most enchanting story not to be missed.
Grant Stewart thinks he’ll never be able to love again, but he’s wrong. Thinking he can fix things he makes a wish, but for Grant that’s a tricky task. Hopefully he’ll proceed with caution? Perhaps he held on to the wrong thing as he prayed he would be heard?
Mistaken for a tour guide Madeline Charlebois begins a journey in New Orleans that has her questioning everything she knows to be true. Is it enough to help her? When she seeks out help from a few local natives will they have the means to take her where she wants to go? Will she discover the truth?
For Grant his wish is life changing and proves that we don’t always get what we want. Will this Quantum physics Professor be able to explain with science what happened ? Will he regret his wish and ask for a do-over?
What would you do if you found yourself faced with the unthinkable? Would you trust what you know? Would you confide in your friends? Maddie isn’t sure whom she can trust. All she knows is that her heart is aching. Who will be the one to help her?
When Grant seeks out advice from a close and trusted friend will it push Maddie in the wrong direction? Friendships are tested, relationships pushed and family bonds are strengthened in this magical must read.
Time travel across continents, a century or two of changes and true love. Will Maddie finally find her purpose? Will Grant discover what lies beyond? Hopefully they will both realize before time runs out that what they need has been with them all along.
Many years ago I vacationed in New Orleans and Spain. Now after reading this story hope I can go back and look at it with a fresh set of eyes. Both places are romantic with great culinary experiences, historical building and traditions in all ways of life.
Start now and download this must read historical romance.
I received this ARC from the author for a fair and honest review.
Be sure to pop in tomorrow, Donna is hanging out for some Coffee With Books I Love A Latte. You won’t want to miss it!
Author Info:
Award winning author Donna MacMeans made a wrong turn many years ago when she majored in Accounting at Ohio State University. What was she thinking? Balancing books just can’t compete with crafting plots and inventing memorable characters. She finally broke free from her life as a CPA to write witty and seductive Victorian historicals for Berkley Publishing in what can only be described as her dream job.
Her books have won numerous awards including the prestigious Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America, and the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Historical Love & Laughter, as well as recognition in many regional contests. Her books consistently receive high praise and glowing reviews.
Donna is also the recipient of the 2013 RWA Service Award, the 2014 RWA Pro Mentor award and currently serves as RWA Treasurer.
An avid reader, she uses the analytical skills learned as an accountant to analyze novels in an effort to constantly improve her own craft – and then teaches those skills in workshops around the country.
A member of the popular Romance Bandits blog group, she is always approachable. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband of forty+ years. Please contact her at www.DonnaMacMeans.com
Dec 20, 2015 | Barbara Devlin, Blog, December 2015
Congratulations to…
New winners drawn for a copy of Love With An Improper Stranger:
- Anita Yancey
- Lisa Brennan
Please note that the winners have till 12/21/15 by 5PM EST to contact Books I Love A Latte via this blog post to claim your prize. If the winners have not contacted BILA a new name will be drawn.
Didn’t win? Be sure to follow Books I Love A Latte on FB, Twitter and the Blog for reviews, giveaways and more!
Dec 18, 2015 | Barbara Devlin, Blog, December 2015, Winners
Congratulations to…
Kindle Fire 7″ – cbjake
Each name below will receive a copy of Love With An Improper Stranger:
- stephmb5
- Jessica Parsons-Hale
Please note that the winners have till 12/20/15 by 5PM to contact Books I Love A Latte via the blog post announcing the winners to claim their prize. If the winners have not contacted BILA a new name will be drawn.
Didn’t win? Be sure to follow Books I Love A Latte on FB, Twitter and the Blog for reviews, giveaways and more!
Dec 17, 2015 | Barbara Devlin, Blog, December 2015
Love With An Improper Stranger (Brethren of the Coast Book 7) by Barbara Devlin will taken you on a voyage packed with romance, adventure and every detail is masterfully thought out.
As soon as you gaze at the breathtaking cover you want more. Discover the Brethren where every character has a purpose and the pages just magically draw you in. Sit back and enjoy, it’s time to set sail!
Blake Elliott finds himself in a rush returning home when Lenore Teversham becomes tangled up in his path. Their first encounter is most definitely memorable. It’s important to pay attention but sometimes a little distraction can bring good fortune.
Lenore Teversham needs to figure out what will become of herself now that her father has passed away. Will the family that she has left come to her rescue? How will she survive?
Unfortunately it looks like Lenore will have to face a journey by sea before that happens which provides a most unforgettable voyage. I hope my first journey by sea involves a handsome knight!
Blake has grown fond of Lenore but isn’t such a fan of being told what to do. Can he maintain his identity while rescuing her? If only Blake could “talk” to Lenore, then he would discover how she truly feels about “rank and status.” What will Lenore do when she discovers Blake’s true identity?
To complicate matters Blake is having a difficult time keeping his desires under control. Perhaps he might benefit from a little guidance in the “romancing” department. Will his fellow Knights help guide him?
Will Lenore be able to let Blake into her heart? When the awaited arrival of her family member presents an unexpected problem, who will Lenore be able to trust? Discover if Blake and Lenore will be tested beyond repair and pushed apart. Or, will they find a way to co-exist before it’s too late?
Dear readers, it’s time to discover Blake and the rest of Barbara’s sexy Knights. Now, scoot, run, hop or double-click on over to wherever you purchase your books and get all of them! Yes, you heard me, ALL of them.
Sit back and relax with those favorite knights we have grown to love because they are still having adventures and continue having so much fun. They are fabulously “sprinkled” throughout each book and that makes me a very happy reader! It’s one of the many reasons why I love this series.
Within each and every book I’m rewarded with a fantastic story, an amazing romance and an ending that leaves me waiting on pins and needles for the next installment. Why? Because they are that good! This seductive, h-o-t story is a must this holiday season.
I received this ARC from the author for a fair and honest review. While this book is part of a series it can most certainly be enjoyed as a stand alone read. If you choose to read it as part of the series there is so much fun to be had.
This story is pretty hot with content for mature readers 18+.
Now, it’s time to see for yourself with this Exclusive Excerpt from Love with an Improper Stranger
Barbara Devlin
The Descendants
Brussels, Belgium
September 30, 1814
“Hurry, Lucilla.” Hefting the small trunk of her belongings, Lenore Teversham huffed and puffed, as she glanced at her younger sister and all but ran along the sidewalk. The lanes, a muddy mess after recent rains, bustled with activity, as she dodged elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen. “We must not be late, or we may have to search out another ride home. Given our financial situation, I am not sure I can procure appropriate boarding to sustain us any longer.”
After the Allies drove the French from Belgium, and their father died from wounds suffered in battle, she and her awkward sibling had begged, borrowed, and pleaded their way to the city, wherein they secured return passage to London from one of Papa’s friends. While the British Army transported the war dead home, it made no provisions for survivors, and she had been left to her own enterprises.
Alone and in dire straits, Lenore had put aside pride and sold precious trinkets to purchase coach fare from Ghent to Brussels. Now all she needed was the assistance of General Stapleton Cotton and his associate, a naval captain of some estimation with space on his ship for two hapless vagabonds.
“Nag, nag, nag.” Lucy clucked her tongue. “Stop crowing, Lenny. You sound like an old woman.”
“I have told you numerous times not to call me that in public.” When they arrived at a large intersection, she studied the road and frowned. “Oh, dear. I will never navigate that muck without soiling the hem of my dress, and I did so wish to make a good impression on our benefactor.” Just then, a gust of wind caught her favorite hat, which landed amid the soggy mire in the middle of traffic.
“Well, you may kiss that goodbye.” With a mischievous grin, Lucy snickered. “As you will never recover it in one piece.”
“Watch me.” With her steely gaze fixed on the much cherished, lavender felt fashion item, decorated with a jaunty white feather, she set down her trunk. “Stay here.”
A passing team gave her pause, and then a curricle raced past, but Lenore remained determined, as she refused to cede anything by accident. On tiptoes, she evaded a large pool of water and skipped beyond the path of a brougham, but the driver shook his fist at her, which she ignored. She hopped left and then right and finally neared her goal, with nary a spot on her frock.
So focused on her prize, she scarcely heeded the hoofbeats until it was too late. The ground shook beneath her feet, a thunderous roar filled her ears, and then the largest most menacing stallion she had ever seen trounced her beloved adornment and spattered her with clumps of mud, as it sped by in a rush.
“Sorry.” The rogue rider slowed.
“Blackguard.” To her unmitigated embarrassment, she spat dirt from her mouth and wiped her face. Then she glanced up and beheld Satan—if the Lord of Darkness sported thick brown hair and vivid blue eyes that danced with pure evil. “Look what you have done to my gown, and that beast destroyed my hat.”
“Big words for a little lady, and lucky for you I do not offend easily.” He reined in and circled her. Garbed with precision, her hellish antagonist sported polished Hessians, buckskin breeches, a chocolate brown waistcoat, a dark blue coat, and a pristine cravat with a diamond twinkling at center. Then his gaze traveled her from head to toe, and she shifted. “You have spirit, and I like that in my women, but I have a prior appointment, so we cannot explore the possibilities, which I suspect would be delicious.”
“How dare you.” Despite her somewhat disheveled appearance, she stomped her slippered foot, which became stuck in the slimy filth, and the last of her pride drowned in a pile of nasty ooze. “I will have you know my father was a hero in His Majesty’s service.”
“Calm yourself.” He chuckled, in a rich baritone that seemed to kiss her everywhere. “I paid you a compliment, my dear. But I cannot delay, as much as I would love to become better acquainted with you. Alas, I am already late.” To her shock, he saluted, reached into his pocket, retrieved a bag of coins, and flung it at her. “For your trouble.”
Then he turned and heeled the flanks of his horse, which showered her in a fresh coat of silt, and Lenore gave vent to an uncharacteristic and unladylike shriek of fury. Unable to pull her shoe from the sludge, she yielded the fight and hobbled back to the sidewalk, where Lucy waited.
“If you say one word—”
“My lips are sealed, sister.” But Lucy snorted, and Lenore wanted to cry, as she picked up her trunk.
It was a lengthy, miserable journey to the business district and an exercise in humiliation for Lenore, as passersby gawked at her unsavory attire. By the time they arrived at the inn where the Cotton’s lodged, her hose was in tatters along with her tenacity. The servant girl who answered the door stared down her nose, and Lenore snuffled.
“The Tevershams to see General Cotton.” She tried to hand the maid a card, but the rude girl retreated, as she ushered them into the stylish residence. “He is expecting us.”
“Miss Lenore? Lucilla?” General Cotton strolled into the sitting room, took one look at her, and winced. “Upon my word, what happened?”
“I met with an unfortunate incident on the way here.” At that point, she swayed, but an iron grip provided unfailing support, and she daubed her brow with her handkerchief. “Thank you,” she said to her unknown champion. “A most dastardly villain almost trampled me beneath an equally vile creature.”
“Perhaps I should order a bath, and you may change into clean clothes.” Then the general glanced to her right. “That is, if there is ample time.”
“By all means.” A familiar voice pricked her ears, and a shiver of recognition traipsed her spine. “I will await the lady’s pleasure.”
“Wonderful.” General Cotton snapped his fingers. “But first, permit me to make the introductions. Miss Lenore Teversham. Miss Lucilla Teversham. Allow me to present Captain Blake Elliott, of His Majesty’s Navy, and your gallant escort.”
When Lucilla cackled, stepped forward, and extended an arm, as would a man, she rocked on her heels. “Cap’n, you should quit right now and set sail without us.”
And that confirmed Lenore’s worst suspicions. Given fate had saddled them with so many hardships, she just knew luck would not have thrown her into the auspicious charity of her assailant. Swallowing hard, she inclined her head, and her unholy tormentor winked. That was it. At the end of her tether, everything inside her railed at once. “You.”
*****GIVEAWAY*****
Here’s the AMAZING prizes up for grabs
generously donated by Barbara Devlin
ONE Kindle Fire 7″
FOUR copies of Love With An Improper Stranger
FIVE Winners will be randomly selected on 12/18/15 5 PM EST.
Please note that winners will have till 12/20/15 to contact Books I Love A Latte via the blog post announcing the winners to claim their prize. If the winners have not contacted BILA a new name will be drawn.
Be sure to follow Books I Love A Latte on FB, Twitter and the Blog for updates and contest winners.
Good Luck to all!
To be entered answer the following question in the commets section of this post…
If you had to travel by sea and had a fear of sailing, would you? Would you tell anyone?
**************************
ICYMI Just click on the book title to be directed to my previous review.
Loving Lieutenant Douglas (Novella)
Enter the Brethren (Book 1)
My Lady, The Spy (Book 2)
The Most Unlikely Lady (Book 3)
One-Knight Stand (Book 4)
Captain of Her Heart (Book 5)
The Lucky One (Book 6)
***Please note that any previous contests associated with the above posts are now closed.***
Bestselling author Barbara Devlin was born a storyteller. A Texan, through and through, Barbara hasn’t been without a book in her possession since she was in kindergarten. She wrote her first short story, a really cheesy murder-mystery, in high school, but it was a Christmas gift, a lovely little diary with a bronze lock, given to her in the fifth grade that truly inspired her love of writing.
After completing part of her undergraduate studies at the University of London, where she developed a love of all things British, Barbara returned home and began a career in banking. But the late 80s weren’t too promising for the financial industry, and every bank that hired Barbara soon folded. So she searched for a stable occupation, and the local police department offered the answer to her prayers.
Initially, Barbara wasn’t too sure about her new career in law enforcement, but she soon came to love being a police officer. And then one uncharacteristically cold and icy day in December 1998, Barbara was struck by a car and pinned against a guardrail while working an accident on a major highway. Permanently disabled, she retired from the police department and devoted her time and energy to physical therapy.
Once Barbara got back on her feet, she focused on a new career in academia. She earned an MA in English and continued a course of study for a Doctorate in Literature and Rhetoric. She happily considered herself an exceedingly eccentric English professor, until success in Indie publishing lured her into writing, full-time, featuring her fictional knighthood, the Brethren of the Coast.
with caution – it might offend and is for mature readers 18+. At $2.99 it’s a great way to ring in the new year!
