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Today, I'm featuring A KISS FOR MISS KINGSLEY, a new Regency short story by best-selling author Collette Cameron.

Here's the blurb:

Olivia Kingsley didn’t expect to fall in love and receive a secret marriage proposal two weeks into her first Season. However, one dance with Allen Wimpleton, heir to a viscountcy, and her fate is sealed. Or so she thinks until her eccentric and ailing father, unaware of Allen’s proposal, announces he’s moving the family to the Caribbean for a year. ... In two days.

Allen begs Olivia to elope to Scotland, knowing her father will refuse his offer of marriage after such a brief acquaintance with Olivia. Having recently lost her mother, and fearing for her father’s health, she refuses, pleading with Allen to wait for her until she returns to England. Angry at her hesitancy, and unaware of her father’s ill health, Allen demands she choose—him or her father.

Heartbroken at his callousness, but thankful he’s revealed his true nature before she married him, Olivia turns her back on their love. The year becomes three, enough time for her broken heart to heal, and after her father dies, Olivia returns to England. Coming face to face with Allen, she realizes she never purged him from her heart and once again the flames of love ignite, but is it too late? Does Olivia have any hope of winning Allen’s heart once more, or has he found another?

Here's an excerpt:

“This is a monumental mistake.” Fingering the ruby pendant hanging at her neck, Olivia Kingsley peeked out the window as the conveyance rounded the corner onto Berkeley Square. Carriage upon carriage, like great shiny beetles, lined up beside an ostentatious manor.

Guests in their evening finery swarmed before the grand entrance and on the stairs as they waited their turn to enter Viscount and Viscountess Wimpleton’s home.

Trepidation dried her mouth and tightened her chest. Yes, attending the ball was a featherbrained solicitation for disaster. No good could come of it.

God’s toenails, what was I thinking, agreeing to Auntie Muriel’s addlepated scheme?

Olivia flattened against the sky-blue squab in the corner of her aunt’s coach and vehemently shook her head. “I cannot do it.” A curl came loose, plopping onto Olivia’s forehead.

Bother.

She shoved the annoying tendril beneath a pin, having no doubt the tresses would work their way free before evening’s end. Patting the circlet of rubies adorning her hair, she assured herself the band remained secure.

Her pulse beat an erratic staccato, and she searched for a plausible excuse for refusing to attend the ball after all. “I ... We,” she wiggled her gloved fingers at her brother, Bradford, lounging on the opposite seat, appearing as contented as their fat cat, Socrates, after lapping a saucer of cream, “were not invited.”

Terribly gauche, that. Showing up at a haut ton function, no invitation in hand.

“Nonsense, darling. It’s perfectly acceptable for you to accompany me.” Aunt Muriel, the Duchess of Daventry, patted Olivia’s knee with her plump hand. “Lady Wimpleton is one of my dearest friends. Why, we had our come-out together, and I’m positive had she known that you and Bradford had recently returned to England, she would have extended an invitation herself.”

Not if she knew the volatile way her son and I parted company, she wouldn’t have.

Here's Collette’s Bio:

Award winning, Amazon best-selling author historical author, Collette Cameron, has a BS in Liberal Studies and a Master's in Teaching. Author of the Castle Brides Series and Highland Heather Romancing a Scot Series, Collette writes Regency and Scottish romances and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and five dachshunds. Mother to three and a self-proclaimed Cadbury Chocolate chocoholic, Collette loves a good joke, inspirational quotes, flowers, trivia, and all things shabby chic. You'll always find dogs, birds, quirky—sometimes naughty—humor, and a dash of inspiration in her novels.

Her motto for life? You can’t have too much chocolate, too many hugs, or too many flowers.

She’s thinking about adding shoes to that list.

Here are Collette's stalker links:

Website: http://collettecameron.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/collettecameronauthor
Tsu: https://www.tsu.co/collettecameron
Blue Rose Romance Blog: http://blueroseromance.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/collette_author
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Collette-Cameron/e/B00CWLYXL2
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7047979.Collette_Cameron
Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/regencyrose

She’s also on Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn, Embracing Romance Blog, Romance Writers Weekly Blog, and Romancing the Era’s Blog too!

Here are the buy links:

Amazon
Itunes
Kobo
Google Books

Blog Tour: Sia by Kia Carrington-Russell

Today I'm featuring SIA, the newly released fantasy novel by Kia Carrington-Russell.

Here's the set-up:

Eighteen years have now passed since the Great Phantom Wolf, Sia, overthrew King Taleb’s rule. The dishonorable monarch was responsible for befriending a human, whom he then used to curse Sia and slaughter her pack. Sia then faced her greatest challenge when she was forced to kill her lover, Kiba—the rightful heir to the throne. Sia murdered Taleb for his transgressions, before resting in peace among her Spirit Pack. Their sacrifices were not forgotten by those whose lives they had defended. 

Saith and Keeley now rule over the Kingdom, endeavoring to restore peace and allegiance throughout the land. Their actions are clouded in secrecy so that their daughter—whom they named Sia—should remain protected and unaware. But what are they preparing for? 

Sia, now almost eighteen years of age, fights for her independence against her inexpressive guard, Trim, who protects her because of a promise he made to the late Phantom Wolf. Sia must face her own journey to discover the mysteries her world has to offer. Her curiosity is piqued by the fear that shadows all wolves: the threat of the humans. So what happens when she comes across one? 

Mistrust and lies decay the Kingdom’s solidarity. Sia must learn whom to trust in both the living and the Spirit World. Where will this lead her? Will her love for Trim be returned? Or will he always cringe when he hears the name that reminds him too greatly of the love he once held for the Great Phantom Wolf?

Here's an excerpt:

Trim walked protectively behind me, on guard after our confrontation. I dropped to my knees beside the young doe, gliding my hand over her nose and soothing her. I reached for the arrow and put her out of her misery. She squealed softly before her breath against my hand ceased. I looked to the blue sky, apologetic that she had been killed too soon. I gave thanks to her for the food that would feed my pack. I turned to Trim, grateful for his presence. “I neither like them nor trust them,” I spoke honestly.

“If you need me, you know I will be close,” Trim said, offering his hand to me to help me stand.

Here's a little about the author:

Kia Carrington-Russell is a young author working on her first series: "The Three Immortal Blades". Kia began writing at the age of fifteen in high school- finding that all her warped and strange dreams were giving her a fantastic new world- and since then she has never looked back.

Kia was born in a small town in Australia, moving around a lot at a young age until finding a stable town where she finished her schooling. Kia found herself enjoying and expressing herself through poetry, short stories and writing, photography, painting and drawing. All these mediums help Kia express the different world that she is so fond of.

In 'Senior Art' Kia focused on feminism and female empowerment; exposing through her work issues and concerns that many people would rather just "sweep under the rug".

In one art installation, Kia made a bed out of Pokémon cards- the concept being that when she slept a new world would come to life and it was the only one she saw and constantly lived in.

Kia now focuses on her photography, writing and self-help blogs on her website: 'Precious Living'. Kia is now keenly working on "The Three Immortal Blades" series knowing that this book has to be shared with the world and that is what she aims to do now.

Kia writes in her Australian home, trying to focus at times on simply what is running through her head, as her cats either terrorize her legs as scratching posts or her puppy barks in her ear for play-time. And as she continues her series, they grow with her book.

Kia is strongly supported by her friends and family and thanks them dearly for being with her along the bumpy road and nothing would please her more than having your support as well.

Here's where you can stalk Kia:

Amazon Author Page

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Here's where you can find the book:

Amazon.com
Goodreads

Ayden K. Morgen: Cover Reveal! Devil in Duke's Clothing by @NinaMas...

Ayden K. Morgen: Cover Reveal! Devil in Duke's Clothing by @NinaMas...: Forbidden fruit is always the most delicious... Devil in Duke's Clothing , a highly erotic historical romance set in Scotland during t...

Cover Reveal: Devil in Duke's Clothing by Nina Mason

Isn't this a gorgeous cover?

 

What's inside is just as wickedly delicious.

Devil in Duke’s Clothing, an erotic historical romance set in Scotland in 1680, tells the story of an innocent bride's struggles to come to grips with her new husband’s eccentric erotic tastes amidst the instability and hedonism of the reign of Charles II. The book is coming in January from Nina Mason, the author of The Queen of Swords and The Tin Man. Book One in the Royal Pains Trilogy, Devil in Duke's Clothing is highly erotic, features scenes of voyeurism, bondage, flagellation, and a voyeuristic menage.

Here's the blurb:

Maggie York, a convent-raised foundling, knows the Duke of Dunwoody’s sexual tastes are a shade or two darker than normal, but marries him anyway—partly because she has no other prospects and partly because, try as she might, she can’t seem to exorcize her desire for the dashing ducal devil. Two years ago, she watched him swive and spank her lady's maid, luring her from the garden of innocence into the orchard of fleshly delights--and she's been hungry for more ever since.

Robert Armstrong, the duke, is a Roman Catholic whose extreme devotions as a child warped his desires as a man. He’s also a slave to the times in which he lives--and to his king. Everything he is, everything he holds dear, depends on staying in Charles II’s good graces. Unfortunately, Maggie isn't the bride the king selected for him. Now, to make amends, the duke must choose between the lesser of two evils: whore his wife or be reduced to a penniless commoner.

Whose interests will Robert choose to serve, his own, the king’s, or the woman he loves?

Here's the trailer (18+ only, please):

Here's an excerpt from the Prologue:

Maggie York had not set out to be a spy.

She’d only come into the housekeeper’s closet to look for a bootlace. It had finally stopped raining and she was eager to escape the musty, smoke-choked prison the castle had become over the past se’nnight. Sick to death of books and needlework, she yearned to be out of doors picking flowers or stalking rabbits, but could do neither of those things until she’d replaced the broken lace on her boots.

Her abigail, as usual, was nowhere to be found, so Maggie had ventured below stairs to apply to the housekeeper for aid. To Maggie’s vexation, Mrs. McQueen was nowhere to be found, either, and, too impatient to await her return, the young ducal ward elected to hunt for the needed item herself.

Now, she was where she should not be and someone was coming. Two someones, actually. If they caught her here, she’d be punished the way she’d been several years past when she’d broken the vase belonging to the duke’s mother. The old duke, the young duke’s late father, had tanned her hide so severely she hadn’t been able to sit down for a full week without wincing.

Fear pumped through Maggie’s veins as the larksome duet drew nearer. The lady was her absent abigail. The gentleman’s laughter she could not place. The duchy employed several male servants—footmen, a valet, a coachman, a gardener, and a handful of strapping young grooms--but the baritone tenor was unlike any of theirs. Neither was it the laugh of the duke’s younger brother, who’d been blessed with a cheerful disposition. The sounds of Hugh’s gaiety echoed so often through the castle’s corridors, she would have known it anywhere.

There was, however, one gentleman residing at Balloch who’d never laughed within range of her hearing. Once or twice, he’d deigned to grace her with a smile—and, Lord bless her—what a thing of beauty ‘twas to behold. Like the sun breaking through the clouds on a gloomy day. The merest glimpse made her bones feel like they were made from tallow. What a pity he was so seldom cheerful.

The laughter grew still louder. As the door opened wider, panic erupted in Maggie’s chest. She could not let them find her snooping like a common thief. Pulse racing, she closed the French doors betwixt closet and room as swiftly and quietly as circumstances permitted.

As luck would have it, the door’s linen curtains were arranged in such a way as to allow her to see into the room without being observed. The man came in first.

Her breath caught when she saw ‘twas none other than the duke himself—in naught but his kilt and shirtsleeves!

Mistress Honeywell, her lady’s maid, soon followed in her usual tartan dress but sans shoes.

Why were they both half undressed? What could they be about?

Maggie bit her lip as she watched in breathless silence.

After locking the door, the duke dropped the key into his sporran and led Mistress Honeywell to a long sofa facing the closet. Maggie’s heart leapt into her throat. She drew back and held her breath. If he saw her, she was doomed.

The maid sat quietly whilst he filled the antimonial cup with Mrs. McQueen’s medicinal whisky. Was the duke ill perchance?

His grace returned to the sofa and handed Mistress Honeywell the whisky. Was it the maid who’d taken ill? If so, why apply to the duke for physick? Maggie could not reason it out.

He stood over the maid as she drank the whisky. Since his back was to the closet, Maggie could not see what passed between them. After a spell, Mistress Honeywell rose and they turned to face one another, providing a perfect view of their full-length profiles.

Maggie expected them to embrace, but they did not.

Instead, Mistress Honeywell set about unlacing her bodice whilst he watched with rapt interest.

The maid wore no stays, but clearly had no need of their support. Her paps, though large, stood as proud and sure as a pair of cockerels.

When Mistress Honeywell was down to her shift, the duke stepped forward, untied the neckline drawstring, and reached inside with both hands.

Maggie swallowed a gasp when he seized both the maid’s breasts and proceeded to knead them like dough. Mistress Honeywell, astonishingly enough, offered no reproach. She only tipped back her head, parted her lips, and emitted a breathy sigh.

How could she abide, let alone enjoy, such exploitation? If a man ever treated Maggie thusly, she’d slap him so hard he’d see stars for a week!

The duke swept the shift off the maid’s shoulders. The thin garment slipped down her body to her ankles. To Maggie’s astonishment, Mistress Honeywell appeared to be unashamed--either by her nudity or his grace’s covetous stares.

By the light of Our Lady’s brow! Such impiety was not to be borne. How could they be so wicked? As Roman Catholics, both had to know what they were doing was sinful.

Here's a wee bit about the author:

Nina Mason is a hopeful romantic with strong affinities for history, mythology, and the metaphysical. She strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten.

She has two books out at present: The Queen of Swords, a darkly erotic Scottish paranormal romance/urban fantasy, and The Tin Man, a political thriller.

Ms. Mason is currently at work on two new series': an erotic historical trilogy titled Royal Pains and a four-part erotic paranormal/fantasy series titled The Knights of Avalon. Devil in Duke's Clothing is book one in Royal Pains. Starry Knight, book one in the Knights of Avalon will be released on August 4, 2015 by Lyrical/Kensington>

When not writing, she works as a communications consultant, doll maker, and home-stager. Born and raised in Orange County, California, Ms. Mason currently lives with her husband, teenage daughter, two rescue cats, and a Westie named Robert just north of Atlanta, Georgia.

Here are the author's stalker links:

Nina Mason's website
Amazon Author's Page
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
Nina Mason's Blog

Romance Weekly: Favorite Holiday Recipe

This week, our assignment is to post a favorite holiday recipe. In my house, it's not Christmas until I make a batch of traditional Scottish shortbread. I prefer the most basic recipe. Here it is:

1 lb. butter (the real deal)
1 full cup sugar (granulated or powdered, depending on your preference--if using powdered, check the quantities on substitution)
3.5 cups all-purpose white flour

Cream butter and sugar. Then add 3 and 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time.

Mix well and knead thoroughly. Add more flour if needed. The more you knead, the tastier the shortbread will be.

The easiest way is to simply pat the dough into a round, square, or oblong pan (don't grease the pan; the dough is oily enough), prick with a fork all the through, bake, and cut into pieces after its cooled. I prefer to make individual cookies, so I roll out the dough on a floured surface, cut it into small circles or hearts, and prick with the fork. This year, though, I'm going to use the shortbread cookie press my husband gave me last Christmas to imprint a design into the tops of the cookies.

If you like thicker shortbread, use an 8 x 8--just watch that the bottom doesn't brown. If you like it a little thinner, an 11 x 7.5 x 1.5 (deep) is ideal.

Bake in 300 degree oven for 45-60 minutes--but don't let shortbread get brown on top.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what the other romance writers in the circle had posted. J. J. Devine is the next link in the chain. Here's her blog address: http://definingjjdevine.weebly.com/ramblings-of-a-writer

Don't miss the Romance Weekly Stocking Stuffer Event, which starts at noon today on Facebook. Great authors and awesome giveaways all day long. I'll be hosting at 6 p.m. EST. Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/755193317849577/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

Happy holidays everyone!!