Today, we are featuring The Captain of Her Fate, a saucy and sophisticated Regency romance by Nina Mason, the author of Devil in Duke’s Clothing and The Governess Next Door, among many other books.

Here’s the blurb:

Captain Theobald Raynalds lost his leg at the Battle of Trafalgar and with it, his belief any woman could find a cripple like him unobjectionable enough to love.

Louisa Bennet finds Theo incredibly attractive—both as a man in his own right and as an alternative to the odious cousin her father has arranged for her to marry.

First, however, she must convince the Captain her interest in him stems from the man he is, scars and all, and not on his being the lesser of evils.


Here are the links:

Buy it now on Amazon
Add it to your TBR lit at Goodreads





Here’s an excerpt:

After the Captain’s sister quit the room, Louisa took her advice and dozed until a knock on her bedchamber door brought her back to herself. Just as she opened her mouth to ask who was there, Capt. Raynalds called through the door, “Miss Bennet, may I have a word?”

She hesitated before answering. As desperately as she wanted to see him and hear what he came to say, her sense of propriety told her to refuse him entry. Entertaining a gentleman in her bedchamber was shockingly improper. Under the circumstances, however, she could not bring herself to send him away.

Pulling the bedclothes to her chin to cover the sheer nightgown his sister had loaned her, she said, “Yes, Captain. You may enter.”

He opened the door and, with the aid of his cane, limped to the bedside and looked down at her, his expression inexplicably stern. “Does my sister speak the truth?”

The question at once shocked Louisa’s heart and aroused her fury. She could not decide which she would rather do, curl up and die or strangle his sister with her bare hands. How could the girl betray her confidence by telling her brother her plans?—if, indeed, that was what she had disclosed. Perhaps it was not, in which case, Louisa would be wise to tread carefully to avoid betraying her own secrets (and his trust in the process).

She blinked under his probing stare. “How can I answer that when I have no idea what she might have told you?

“She told me your father intends to marry you off to a man you despise.”

He looked very unhappy, which pleased her immeasurably. “Yes, that is true. He wants me to marry the cousin to whom his estate is entailed—to ensure my mother and sisters will have somewhere to live after he departs this world.”

The Captain, hands stacked atop his cane, shifted his stance uneasily. “I can understand his motives—he is only doing what he believes best for his family, one can only presume—but I cannot agree with his forcing you to marry a man you abhor. Does he know how much you loathe your cousin?”

“He does.”

“And he insists upon you marrying this man in spite of your feelings?”

“My feelings are of little consequence to my father, I assure you.”

He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Surely there must be some way around marrying this person.”

Did she dare share her idea? No, she mustn’t. If she did, he would never come to trust her. “There is not, short of running away and living as a gypsy.”

He stood there a long time, as if fighting an inner battle. At length, he said, “There is one way I can think of…but I fear I am not the man for the job.”

Louisa’s heart wilted. “You are right. We are strangers. So why should you care what becomes of me?”

Softening in demeanor, he came closer and sat beside her on the bed. “I do care what becomes of you, Miss Bennet—beyond what I am willing to admit—but my heart is not quite invested enough to put a ring on your finger. Neither is my trust. And now, in addition to my standard reservations, I suspect you mean to use me to avoid marrying this cousin of yours.”

“That is untrue!” She looked away so he would not see the desperation in her eyes. “Well, it might be partially true…but I shall endeavor to fall in love with you as soon as I’m able.”

He smiled at her sympathetically. “Forgive me. I by no means wish you unhappy. Truly, I do not. But neither can I consent to binding myself to a woman on the off-chance she will fall in love with me.”

“So, you refuse to help me?”

Turning away from her, he said, with an indignant edge to his voice, “That is supremely unfair, Miss Bennet. Have I not helped you already? Did I not come to your aid when you fell off your horse? Did I not take you in when your own mother left you to my care? Have I not kept my distance to protect you from scandal and ruin?”

The last bit astonished her. Did he really fear what might happen if they were alone together? Were that indeed the case, she might exploit his passions to aid her cause. Much as she hated to resort to such deceitful measures, she could see no other way to escape her marriage to Charles. And it would not be entirely an act; for just now, with him sitting so near, so dangerously near, she wanted nothing more than to be in his arms.

“What if I want you to ruin me?”


Here’s Nina’s author bio:


Nina Mason, the author of eleven published books to date, is an incurable romantic who strives to write love stories that entertain and edify. A research fanatic, she goes to great lengths to ensure the locations and time periods in her books are accurately portrayed (and thanks the Powers That Be for the internet). Born and raised in Southern California, Ms. Mason lived in Oregon briefly before moving to Georgia, where she lives with her husband and college-bound daughter. When she isn't writing, she makes historic dolls, fairy babies, and putters in her garden.

Here are Nina’s stalker links:

Visit Nina's website
Follow Nina on Facebook Follow Nina on Twitter
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Blog Tour for Jane Grey, releasing May 16

Today we're celebrating the release of Jane Grey, an historical romance in the style of the classics by Nina Mason. Set in France’s Loire Valley in 1850, Jane Grey tells the story of a frustrated painter and a beleaguered English governess who comes to France to tutor a flirtatious young heiress in the social graces. Jane Grey meets Matthew Brontë when he takes a spill from his horse near where she is walking—the same way Jane Eyre met Mr. Rochester in the book our Jane is reading at the time. Jane finds it uncannier still that Matthew is a cousin to the author of Jane Eyre.

As the weeks pass, Jane and Matthew discover they have many shared interests. They seem perfect for each other apart from one significant snag: Matthew cannot marry without forfeiting his fortune, and Jane can only marry a man with the means to support her and her dependent relations back in England.

Will the strength of Jane and Matthew’s devotion be enough to overcome this seemingly unsolvable dilemma? Or will Jane be forced to choose her duty to her family over her own greatest desire?

Jane Grey is an original work with subtle shadings borrowed from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Anne Brontë’s Agnes Grey.


Here’s the blurb:

Matthew Brontë, a true romantic at heart, believes the only happiness in life is to love and be loved. And yet, he fears he lacks the capacity to love…until he meets Jane Grey. Jane, a humble English governess, seems perfect for Matthew, apart from one significant snag: Jane can only marry a man of means and Matthew must give up his fortune if and when he marries.

When faced with the choice between love and money, which will each of them choose?

Here’s an excerpt:
“If you don’t mind my asking, was your relationship with the countess an affectionate one?”

“Hardly.”

Matthew’s candor pleased Jane on more than one level. “So, you didn’t love her?”

After an extended silence, he said, looking pained, “To be truthful, Miss Grey, I’ve never loved any woman—and often doubt myself capable of experiencing that most-coveted of emotions.”

His words crushed her hopes and brought more tears to her eyes. “Surely, you are wrong. For you strike me as a man of great passion.”

“I used to be.” His countenance grew even more sullen. “But now, my heart is like a tree in winter. Barren, leafless, and encrusted with ice.”

“Perhaps it will thaw when you meet the right woman,” she offered hopefully.

He brought his face very close to hers and, for a breathless moment, she thought he meant to kiss her. Instead, he said in a strained voice, “I probably should keep this to myself, but my cold heart has warmed some since making your acquaintance.”

For several hellish-yet-heavenly moments, they sat together in silence. His mouth was so close to hers she could feel his breath warming her lips. As her heart leapt toward him, her body impulsively followed. Their mouths met ever so sweetly. Then, mortified by her forwardness, she jerked back and turned away.

“Forgive me. I shouldn’t have been so presumptuous.”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” he said. “I rather liked the feel of your mouth on mine.”

She liked the feel of his, too—very much indeed—but carrying on like a common hussy would only lead to her ruin. “Perhaps we should return to the house and see if Cécile’s headache is any better.”

“Yes,” he said with audible strain. “Perhaps we should at that.”

He stood and offered her his arm. She took his coat sleeve between her gloved hands and let him lead her farther along the path. After they’d walked several paces, he said, “I don’t believe I’ve yet asked your favorite flower.”

“No, you haven’t.”

He waited a few moments before letting out a small laugh. “Will you not tell me what it is?”

“Very well.” She released a sigh. “I shall tell you. As queer as it may seem, my favorite flower is bleeding heart.”

He laughed, drew to a stop, and freed his arm from her grasp. Turning toward the bed to their right, he bent over the boxwood border and plucked several stems of the flower she’d named. Then, he offered the bouquet to her with a gallant bow. “Please allow me to offer you this humble token of my admiration.”

She accepted the flowers with joy in her heart. It was foolish, perhaps, to experience so much elation in response to so simple an offering, but no man had ever given her anything before. He’d also demonstrated tremendous compassion when she told him about her family—and had admitted to liking the brief intimacy they’d shared.

Might he have some feelings for her? Or was he just being kind? Oh—and what about his secret? She must take care not to let him turn her head, lest she end up brokenhearted when the truth came out.

Buy Jane Grey now on Amazon!

Note: Jane Grey will be 99 cents until May 21 and thereafter will revert to the regular price of $3.99.



Here’s more about the author:

Nina Mason, the author of eleven published books to date, is an incurable romantic who strives to write love stories that entertain and edify. A research fanatic, she goes to great lengths to ensure the locations and time periods in her books are accurately portrayed (and thanks the Powers That Be for the internet). Born and raised in Southern California, Ms. Mason lived in Oregon briefly before moving to Georgia, where she lives with her husband and college-bound daughter. When she isn't writing, she makes historic dolls, fairy babies, and putters in her garden.

Contact Nina
Visit Nina's website
Follow Nina on Facebook
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Subscribe to Nina's newsletter:

The Devils Who Would Be King releases in three more days!!

 

Today, we are featuring The Devils Who Would Be King, the fourth and final installment in Nina Mason’s historical erotica series Royal Pains. Set in Scotland and England during the Restoration period, Royal Pains follows the political, religious, and erotic exploits of the Duke and Duchess of Dunwoody. 

Here’s the blurb:

Their loyalty, faith, and love will be tested like never before…
Maggie, pregnant and missing Robert like mad, invites Gemma Crosse to help ease her loneliness, only to get swept up in a whirl of naughtiness and heartache. Meanwhile, rebellion is brewing to the north, where her husband is acting as a spy for the king, who grows drunker with power by the day.
Will Maggie and Robert’s love be strong enough to weather the coming storm? Or will the winds of change blow their world apart?

Buy the book now in Kindle or paperback!

Haven’t read the first three books in the series? No worries. You can buy the first book right now for only 99 cents! Check out all four books in the series here: Amazon.com. They’re also available for free through Kindle Unlimited.

Here’s an excerpt from The Devils Who Would Be King:

When Maggie returned to the bedchamber, she found Robert waiting just inside the door. Before she could say aught to him, he captured her mouth with such passion she fell back against the jamb, needing its support as she reeled under a dizzying rush of desire.

It felt wonderful. Glorious. Better than anything else in the world. She ran her hands slowly up into his hair, over his stubbled jaw, across his hard shoulders, and along his strong arms. Yes, he smelled ripe, but his stink was pure raw male animal musk. She found it far more arousing than offensive. Moving her hands around to his back, she pulled his body firmly against hers, feeling all over again how much she had missed him.

Playing house with Gemma had been all well and good, but her friend was not Robert. No one was, or could ever take his place in her heart or in her bed. Suddenly ashamed of her behavior, she broke from the kiss.

Flushed and short of breath, she said, “Forgive me.”

“For what?” he asked, eyebrows drawing together.

“You were jealous when I went to bed with Juliette. I should have guessed how you would feel about Gemma, whatever you might have claimed to the contrary.”

A strange, unreadable look crossed his face before he stepped away from her and averted his gaze. “How funny that you should bring up Juliette, for I encountered her in my travels.”

“Juliette?” Maggie frowned and furrowed her brow, unsure she’d heard him correctly. “Was she not hanged?”

“No.” When he returned his gaze to hers, she was sure she saw guilt there. “King Louis bribed the judge to release her.”

“King Louis?” she asked, growing uneasy. “Why would he pay to free a Huguenot?”

“Because she is not a Huguenot,” he told her with growing fervor. “She is Romish, like us, and has been working in secret for her king and country. I ran into her in Orkney, awaiting the rebel ships. We joined Argyle’s forces together, posing as man and wife to protect our covers.”

“Man and wife?” she repeated, shocked again. “Did you..?”

“God, no!” He laughed, though nervously. “I was as faithful as the day is long—not that it was easy, given the sleeping arrangements.”

Though relieved he had not cheated on her, Maggie could not let such an inflammatory aside go unremarked upon. “Whatever do you mean by that?”

Before he could answer, someone knocked on the door. Presuming it was the servants with the hot water, Maggie pulled out of Robert’s embrace and went to let them in. After directing them to the bath closet, she went to check on Gemma and wee Jamie. Both, to her delight, were sound asleep. With any luck, they would not stir until morning, giving her hours yet to celebrate her husband’s homecoming.

Returning to the bath closet, she watched the maids fill the tub, offering instructions when necessary. When all was prepared to her satisfaction, she sent them away before returning to Robert’s bedchamber, where she found him seated upon the needlepoint settee in the window alcove, removing his boots and stockings. As he reached around to unfasten his cravat, he looked up to find her watching him.

“Shall I remove the rest?” The wolfish grin he gave her set her blood afire. “Or would you prefer to do the honors?”

“Let me,” she said, excited by the idea of peeling off his clothing, layer by layer. Doing so would afford her the chance to discover his body anew.

He got to his feet and stalked toward her like a predatory animal. When he was only inches away, he spread his arms wide and laughed. “I’m all yours.”

She started with his waistcoat, working the buttons out of their holes in silence. As much as she wanted to inquire further about Juliette and their sleeping arrangements, she wanted him naked even more.

When the waistcoat was off, she tugged his shirttail free of his breeches. Sliding her hands inside his shirt, she relished the feel of his flat belly and muscular chest. Locating his nipples, she gently pinched them between her thumb and forefinger.

Groaning with pleasure, he shut his eyes.

She pressed a kiss to his stubbled chin before unbuttoning the ruffled cuffs on his sleeves. When they were open, he lifted his arms so she could pull the shirt off over his head. Trembling at the sight of his naked chest, she kissed and licked each of his nipples to hardness before moving to his breeches. As she untied the ribbon closures, she did everything in her power to tempt and arouse him. When his breeches fell, she wrapped her hand around his c**k.

“Oh, Rosebud, my sweet seductress,” he breathlessly whispered. “You certainly know how to drive me wild with desire.”

She gave his erection a few ardent strokes before letting go. Yes, she knew how to inflame his passions, but she also knew when to back off to prolong the seduction.

He stepped out of his puddled breeches and kicked them aside before gripping her shoulders. “Now, it is my turn to undress you,” he said with a devilish grin. “For I should like you as naked as a nymph whilst you give me my bath.”

Here’s more about the author:

Nina Mason is an incurable romantic who strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, and educate. She has two series out at present, Royal Pains (historical erotica) and Knights of the Tarot (erotic PNR/UF). She also has published three stand-alone novels: Sins Against the Sea, The Queen of Swords, and The Tin Man. The latter two are not available at this time.

Born and raised in Southern California, Ms. Mason holds a degree in journalism from California State University at Fullerton and currently lives with her family in Woodstock, Georgia. To contact Ms. Mason, email her at ninamasonauthor@gmail.com.

Here’s where you can find Nina on social media:

Visit Nina's website: http://ninamasonauthor.com
Follow Nina on Facebook: http://facebook.com/ninamasonromance
Follow Nina on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ninamasonauthor

Find Nina on Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/ninamasonauthor

Follow Nina on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nina-Mason/e/B00J5N2PX8
Subscribe to Nina's newsletter: https://vr2.verticalresponse.com/s/authorninamasonsnewsletter

Nina Mason will release the fourth and final installment in her erotic historical series Royal Pains on Oct. 18. Royal Pains follows the sexual and historical exploits of Robert and Maggie Armstrong, the duke and duchess of Dunwoody, during the reigns of the last two Stuart kings (1685-1688).

 

Pre-order now!

Their loyalty, faith, and love will be tested like never before...

Maggie, pregnant and missing Robert like mad, invites Gemma Crosse to help ease her loneliness, only to get swept up in a whirl of naughtiness and heartache. Meanwhile, rebellion is brewing to the north, where her husband is acting as a spy for the king, who grows drunker with power by the day.

Will Maggie and Robert's love be strong enough to weather the coming storm? Or will the winds of change blow their world apart?

Mature content. 18+ readers only.

Blog Tour: Knights of the Tarot by Nina Mason

On May 24, Nina Mason will re-release significantly revised editions of the books previously published as Starry Knight and Dark and Stormy Knight. If you've read them in the original version, you might want to do so again because they're very different now. If you haven't yet checked out Nina's excellent books, you don't know what you're missing!

Knights of the Tarot, a four-part series, was born of a relatively simple concept. Nina wanted to write a paranormal/fantasy series incorporating different forms of divination. Tarot cards, astrology, runes, numerology, and the like. From that kernel grew the overarching storyline. The heroes of this contemporary paranormal series are Scottish noblemen of times past who were taken by the faeries into Avalon to serve as breeding drones to the queen, the legendary Morgan le Fay. Each of the books tells the story of a particular knight and the heroine whose love saves him from his unhappy existence.

Each hero grapples with a different relationship with their cruel and selfish queen. Callum Lyon, the knight of book one (Knight of Wands), is free of Morgan’s influence, having escaped Avalon after faking his death. Leith MacQuill, the knight of book two (Knight of Cups), was expelled from Avalon after the queen discovered his affair with one of the ladies of her court. To punish Leith, Morgan cursed him so any women he should fall in love with in the future would die.

In book three (Knight of Pentacles, which releases on June 13), Axel Lochlann, a rune-casting Highlander of Viking descent, is still enslaved to the queen, who he serves as a guardian of the portal between the mortal and immortal realms.

The Knight of Swords (book four) is Finn MacKnight does not yet know he is destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy telling of the queen’s overthrow by a natural-born drone.

The knights are blood-drinking shape-shifters who can assume the form of any creature, real or mythical, but generally take the form of their alter ego. Callum’s preferred form is a lion, Leith’s is a Kellas Cat, Axel’s is a gyrfalcon, and Finn’s is a jaguar.

* * * *


Title: Knight of Wands
Author: Nina Mason
Series: Knights of the Tarot (book one)
Genre: PNR/UF
Heat Level: Erotic
Formats: Kindle, Paperback, Kindle Unlimited
Release Date: May 24

Here's the blurb for Knight of Wands:

Paranormal Investigator Vanessa Meadows believes in every kind of magic except love. When her new boss sends her on an assignment to remote Caithness, Scotland, she’s determined to do whatever it takes to prove the Vampire of Barrogill is more than a legend. First, however, she must get inside the castle where the entity is believed to dwell.

Castle Barrogill belongs to Callum Lyon, a handsome baron and reclusive political astrologer. Their strong mutual attraction proves a boon to Vanessa’s plans, but, once inside his castle, she encounters more paranormal activity than she bargained for. There’s no vampire, but there is a blood-drinking faery knight—and a ghost who will stop at nothing to keep her there. Will freedom-loving Vanessa’s feelings for Callum, coupled with nudges from the other side, be enough to persuade her to give him a chance? Or will the dark secrets of Castle Barrogill only reinforce her unwillingness to put her faith in the power of love?

Here's an excerpt from Knight of Wands:

“Have a look at your adoring fan over there,” Duncan said, leaning in. “I do believe she’s visually undressing you.”

Callum looked up from the book he’d been signing Political Astrology through the Ages, his latest in a series on the subject. The fan in question stood by the refreshment table, clutching the book to her chest. Was she undressing him with her gaze? A smile stole across his mouth as interest deepened its hook. Judging by the heat of her stare, he was already naked in her mind.

While delivering his lecture on the same topic, he’d seen her in the third row, giving him equally heated looks. All through his talk, her presence, not to mention her seductive stare, had made it difficult to concentrate on his notes. Luckily, he knew the topic well enough to wing it.

Licking his lips, he traced the long, smooth contours of flesh and muscle beneath the posh black pantsuit she wore. She was tall and slender—willowy—with an angular face and a wide, full mouth that stretched into an inviting smile as his gaze met hers with an electrical charge he felt in his groin. Her eyes were as blue and deep as a loch. Mesmerized, he returned the smile. How easily he could get lost in those eyes, forget how to swim, and realize too late he was drowning.

He lowered his gaze to her breasts, which were large, firm, and unharnessed. Did she have an aversion to undergarments? He hoped not, given his penchant for naughty lingerie. He dressed her in a lacy black corset and thigh-high stockings. Oh, aye. She definitely had the figure to indulge his weakness. Swallowing his rising lust, he shifted in his chair to ease the tightening in his trousers.

Turning to Duncan, he asked, “Who is she? Do you know?”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” his friend replied.

Swallowing, Callum shifted his focus to the woman directly in front of him. She was fiftyish, plump, and squat with curly dishwater hair. “What was the name again?”

“Sorcha.”

“That’s lovely.” He grinned through the qualm inflicted by the name. “I once had a wife called Sorcha.”

His statement clearly aroused her interest. “Would you be looking for a new wife by any chance, your lordship? Because, if you are, I ken a bonny lass who’d be just perfect for you.”

“Oh, aye?” Still smiling falsely, he arched an eyebrow. “What sign would she be then?”

“She’s a Gemini.” The woman beamed at him in a manner suggesting the lady in question was probably her daughter.

“Ah. I see.” He cleared his throat. “Well, Sorcha, that’s too bad. Because, you see, I make it a strict policy never to get tangled up with anyone born under the sign of the twins. They’re far too changeable for me, I’m afraid.”

He signed her book and handed it back. He made more or less the same claim whatever the answer. Well-meaning women were forever trying to set him up—usually with themselves. He sought out the dark-haired lass again, wondering what sign she might be. Not that it mattered, since what he had in mind would be brief and involve very little talking.

Buy Knight of Wands now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Knight-Wands-Knights-Tarot-Book-ebook/dp/B01CYH38IC

Read more of Knight of Wands for free on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/68103579-knight-of-wands

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Title: Knight of Cups
Author: Nina Mason
Series: Knights of the Tarot (book two)
Genre: PNR/UF
Heat Level: Erotic
Formats: Kindle, Paperback, Kindle Unlimited
Release Date: May 24

Here's the blurb for Knight of Cups:

When Gwyndolen Darling, a sexual abuse survivor who lives in a fantasy world, travels to Scotland to meet her obsession, she soon finds herself in a dark faery tale of epic proportions. Sir Leith MacQuill, the object of her quest, isn't just a reclusive author who's into BDSM, he also is a shapeshifting faery knight who carries a curse that will kill any woman who captures his heart.

When his usual methods fail to protect Gwyn, a dead ringer for the wife he tragically lost back in 1746, Sir Leith must find a way to break the curse or lose his One True Love a second time. Unfortunately, the article he needs to reverse the hex is in the otherworld land he was banished from by the ruthless faery queen who cursed him.

Gwyn must, therefore, undertake the dangerous mission alone. Will she find the courage to fight for herself and her knight? Or will she choose to stay inside the imaginary tower she's built to keep herself safe from the world?  

Here's an excerpt from Knight of Cups:

Leith slipped into the garden shed, stripped off his clothes, and contemplated what lay ahead. Shifting was a self-abandoning experience much the way orgasm was. La petite mort, the French called it. The little death. Orgasm, not shifting. The absolute dissolution of mind and body brought about by shifting was closer to a near-death experience.

Peace followed the quieting of conscious thought, especially the grief and regret that seemed always to be squirming inside his heart like worms boring their way through an apple.

The hush of animal instinct was heavenly—or would be if his human self didn’t squat in the background making a nuisance of itself. Conversely, the cat was always there, too, living inside him like a restless embryo, constantly striving to make more room for itself inside his subconscious womb.

Sometimes it was a wildcat, big and blood-hungry. Other times it was a kitten, docile and contented. Often, it woke him in the night, needing to stretch its restricted limbs. Occasionally, its swiping claws would tear at his insides, drawing blood.

The change was nothing to him now (the whole process only took a minute), but it wasn’t always so. Like sex or roleplaying, like everything, really, shifting got easier with practice.

In the early days, the transformation took place from the inside out. He would sit for a spell meditating upon the picture of himself as the cat before speaking the incantation. He would imagine himself growing fur, a snout, and a tail; envision his hands and feet becoming paws and his ears rising to the top of his head to form points. It took a considerable amount of effort and concentration back then.

Now, he simply called the sleeping cat forth.

Here, kitty, kitty.

Well, no, it wasn’t quite that simple. He still had to recite the ancient spell Belphoebe taught him before he turned her over to the druids and imagine himself covered in black fur with a long tail and slanted green eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he got down on all fours on the shed’s dirty floor. Grit dug into his knees and palms as he called the image of a Kellas Cat into his mind and spoke the magic words.

Fee-faw
Fee-faw
Fee-faw

His hands and feet changed first. The feeling was like the chills one gets with a fever. His toes and fingers retracted as their nailbeds sprouted claws. He dug their sharp points into the rough wood of the floor as a symphony of smells waltzed up his elongating snout. The sharply pungent steer manure behind him led the way, followed by the garden’s roses, lavender, and honeysuckle. The sea come next with his bracing primordial pong. Then, the woods joined in with the soft notes of soil, grass, pine, and decaying leaves. Finally, he caught the scent of that earthy perfume Mother Nature dabbed on after the first few drops of rain.

Inside him, the cat purred like a lawnmower.

His shoulders, back, and haunches changed next. The hands of an invisible sculptor pushed, pulled, and reshaped the cellular clay of his form. Flesh, blood, and bone magically and painlessly reconfigured in a matter of moments.

Buy Knight of Cups now on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Knight-Cups-Knights-Tarot-Book-ebook/dp/B01CYV21BS

Read more of Knight of Cups for free on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/69275123-knight-of-cups-knights-of-the-tarot-2

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Knight of Pentacles Coming Soon!

Title: Knight of Pentacles
Author: Nina Mason
Series: Knights of the Tarot (book three)
Genre: PNR/UF
Heat Level: Erotic
Formats: Kindle, paperback, Kindle Unlimited
Release Date: June 13

Pre-order now! https://www.amazon.com/Knight-Pentacles-Knights-Tarot-Book-ebook/dp/B01CYT94R4

* * * *

About the author:


Nina Mason is an incurable romantic who strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. She has one other series out at present, Royal Pains, which follows a Scottish duke and duchess through the events of the Restoration period.

Born and raised in Southern California, Ms. Mason currently lives with her family in Woodstock, Georgia. When she isn't writing, she works as a consultant for Pure Romance, a line of relationship-enhancement products.

Nina combines author readings with in-home Pure Romance parties. For more information, email her at ninamasonauthor@gmail.com.

Visit Nina's website: http://ninamasonauthor.com

Follow Nina on Facebook: http://facebook.com/ninamasonromance

Follow Nina on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ninamasonauthor

Subscribe to Nina's newsletter: https://vr2.verticalresponse.com/s/authorninamasonsnewsletter

Blog Tour: Sins Against the Sea by Nina Mason

“If the merfolk were real, imagine how they might feel about the way we humans treat the ocean. That was my premise for Sins Against the Sea, a story deeply steeped in the mythology and folklore of the Scottish isles.”

--Nina Mason, author

Title: Sins Against the Sea

Author: Nina Mason

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Mythology

Heat Level: Moderately steamy

Format: Kindle and Paperback

Cordelia Parker, an oil company spokeswoman, has never believed in magic, despite her late mother’s fanciful stories. Then, during an oil spill in Scotland’s mysterious Minch, her reality is shattered when she stumbles upon a merman in a hidden cave. Even more shocking, she feels the same soul-level connection to him she felt for the ocean before it claimed both her parents.

A fish out of water in his sexist culture, Cuan feels a powerful attraction to Cordelia, but, because she knows what he is, he is duty-bound to kill her. If humankind discovers the Blue Men of the Minch are real, they will destroy them the way they destroy the ocean, whose abundance belongs at once to all and none. Thus, the only way he can have a life with her is to prove she is more than she appears, trust her with his secrets, and give up his undersea world.

With so many obstacles to overcome, they will need a miracle to be together…or maybe just a splash of ancient island magic.

Here’s more about the author of Sins Against the Sea:

Nina Mason is an incurable romantic who strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. She has one series out at present, Royal Pains, which follows a Scottish duke and duchess through the events of the Restoration period.

Born and raised in Southern California, Ms. Mason currently lives with her family in Woodstock, Georgia. When she isn't writing, she works as a consultant for Pure Romance, a line of relationship-enhancement products. Nina combines author readings with in-home Pure Romance parties. She also does Pure Romance parties on Facebook. For more information, email her at ninamasonauthor@gmail.com.

Nina is the author of two other series: Royal Pains, an erotic historical romp set in the Restoration era, and Knights of the Tarot, a paranormal romance/urban fantasy featuring shapeshifting faery heroes and various forms of divination.

Here’s where you can find Nina on social media:

Visit Nina's website: http://ninamasonauthor.com
Follow Nina on Facebook: http://facebook.com/ninamasonromance
Follow Nina on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ninamasonauthor

Find Nina on Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/ninamasonauthor
Subscribe to Nina's newsletter: https://vr2.verticalresponse.com/s/authorninamasonsnewsletter

Sins Against the Sea: Pre-order now for April 5 release

A new stand-alone romantic fantasy by Nina Mason:

They only harm those who sin against the sea...

Cordelia Parker, an oil company spokeswoman, has never believed in magic, despite her late mother's fanciful stories. Then, during an oil spill in Scotland's mysterious Minch, her reality is shattered when she stumbles upon a merman in a hidden cave. Even more shocking, she feels the same soul-level connection to him she felt for the ocean before it claimed both her parents.

A fish out of water in his sexist culture, Cuan feels a powerful attraction to Cordelia, but, because she knows what he is, he is duty-bound to kill her. If humankind discovers the Blue Men of the Minch are real, they will destroy them the way they destroy the ocean, whose abundance belongs at once to all and none. Thus, the only way he can have a life with her is to prove she is more than she appears, trust her with his secrets, and give up his undersea world.

With so many obstacles to overcome, they will need a miracle to be together...or maybe just a splash of ancient island magic.

Pre-order now and save $1

Knights of Avalon Series Now Defunct

For reasons that escape me, Lyrical Press has decided to drop my Knights of Avalon series. I have decided to revise the books and publish them myself as soon as I can get them ready to do so. The books will be released as a new series (KNIGHTS OF THE TAROT) and with new titles: KNIGHT OF WANDS, KNIGHT OF CUPS, KNIGHT OF PENTACLES, and KNIGHT OF SWORDS. In the meantime, I will be releasing a new stand-alone paranormal on April 5. SINS AGAINST THE SEA will be available for pre-order starting March 15. Stay tuned for more...

The Devil's Masquerade releases Oct. 6.

Today, we're featuring THE DEVIL'S MASQUERADE, book three in the erotic historical series ROYAL PAINS by Nina Mason.

Buy it now!

Here's the blurb:

Beware the devil in disguise… 

The year is now 1685 and Maggie’s father has just been crowned King of Great Britain, but that doesn’t mean trouble is over for the Duke and Duchess of Dunwoody. Rather than cool the flames of hatred between Papists and Protestants, the coronation of a Catholic monarch has only added accelerant to the already raging blaze. Two-faced devils lurk in every corner of the royal court, as do diseases with the power to kill and maim. When Robert falls prey to the smallpox virus, it looks as though Maggie will lose the two people most precious to her—her beloved husband and their only child—the son she bore three months before after five years of heartbreaking miscarriages and stillbirths. The one person in London who can help save her son demands a steep price in exchange her services. Will Maggie trade Robert’s hard-won fidelity to save her only child…or offer the apothecary an even more scandalous alternative?

Note: ROYAL PAINS contains highly erotic content and is intended to be read in order.

Enter the rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win signed copies of the first two books in the ROYAL PAINS series!

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 Watch the trailer!



 

Check out the first two books in the ROYAL PAINS series:
 

About the author

Nina Mason is an incurable romantic who strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten.

The Devil's Masquerade is the third book in her Royal Pains series and her sixth book overall. Her seventh book, Dark and Stormy Knight, the second installment in her Knights of Avalon series, will be released by Lyrical/Kensington on Jan. 5.

Join Nina's mailing list
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Royal Pains New Covers Unveiled

Today we are revealing the new covers for Nina Mason's Royal Pains, an erotic series set in Scotland and England during the Restoration period (the latter half of the 17th century, for those who don't know). Ms. Mason decided to put new, sexier covers on the series for the launch of book three, THE DEVIL'S MASQUERADE. All three new covers, the blurbs for the books, and the buy links follow. The first two books in the series are now on sale, in case anyone wants to catch up before the release of book three on Oct. 6:

Royal Pains, Book One

DEVIL IN DUKE'S CLOTHING

Innocence lost. Paradise found.

Maggie York, a convent-raised foundling, knows the Duke of Dunwoody’s sexual tastes are a shade or two darker than most, but marries him anyway—partly because she has no other prospects and partly because, try as she might, she can’t seem to stop fantasizing about her dashing rake of a guardian.

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 either whore his wife or be reduced to a penniless and unprotected commoner at a time when Catholics are persona non grata in Great Britain.

Buy it now!

Royal Pains, Book Two

THE DUKE'S BEDEVILED BRIDE

The tawdry tale of the Duke and Duchess of Dunwoody continues…

Maggie Armstrong, the long-lost illegitimate daughter of the heir presumptive to the throne, is bedeviled by her husband's limited definition of fidelity. After observing him in a ménage à trois at the court of King Charles II, she is determined to bring him around to her way of thinking—
by any means necessary.

Robert doesn’t mind being punished for his transgressions. Rather, he enjoys being whipped, especially by his beloved bride. Unfortunately, her heart might not belong to him alone. His younger brother, who he’d sent abroad to clear the way for himself, is coming home sooner than expected, and Maggie’s feelings for Hugh may not be as dead as her husband had hoped.

Both duke and duchess soon learn, to their peril, Hugh Armstrong is not the honorable man they’d been led to believe. Insanely jealous of his brother’s situation, Hugh will stop at nothing to strip Robert of all he holds dear—including his life.

But the real danger for Robert and Maggie is not the villainous Marquess, but the growing friction betwixt Catholics and Protestants in Restoration Era Great Britain.

Can their love survive the trials that await them?

Buy it now!

Royal Pains, Book Three

THE DEVIL'S MASQUERADE

Beware the devil in disguise...

The year is now 1685 and Maggie's father has just been crowned King of Great Britain, but that doesn't mean trouble is over for the Duke and Duchess of Dunwoody. Rather than cool the flames of hatred between Papists and Protestants, the coronation of a Catholic monarch has only added accelerant to the already raging blaze. Two-faced devils lurk in every corner of the royal court, as do diseases with the power to kill and maim. When Robert falls prey to the smallpox virus, it looks as though Maggie will lose the two people most precious to her--her beloved husband and their only child--the son she bore three months before after five years of heartbreaking miscarriages and stillbirths. The one person in London who can help save her son demands a steep price in exchange her services. Will Maggie trade Robert's hard-won fidelity to save her only child...or offer the apothecary an even more scandalous alternative?

Preorder now! 

Disclaimer: Royal Pains, intended for readers 18 years and older, features flagellation, bondage, group sex, and other highly erotic situations.

Blog Tour: Starry Knight by Nina Mason

 

Today, we are featuring Starry Knight by Nina Mason, the author of The Queen of Swords and Devil in Duke's Clothing, among other books. Starry Knight is Ms. Mason's fifth novel and the first in a new erotic paranormal/urban fantasy series titled The Knights of Avalon. The series--which combines paranormal and occult elements with Celtic and Arthurian legend--tells the story of four "knights" under the spell of the evil faery queen Morgan Le Fay.

Can these star-crossed lovers bridge two worlds?

British aristocrat Vanessa Bentley has beauty, fame, and fortune, but she gets no respect for her decision to become a paranormal investigator. Determined to prove the naysayers wrong, Vanessa ventures to the misty moors of Caithness, Scotland. There stands the immense Castle Barrogill, where a vampire is rumored to be stalking the dungeons—a vampire Vanessa is determined to find. She’ll just have to get past the resident shape-shifter…

Callum Lyon is the gorgeous reclusive astrologer and faery knight who guards the castle. For free-spirited Vanessa, seducing him proves to be easy. After all, he was once a breeding drone to a Queen. But astrologically, their differences are harder to overcome. Will Vanessa’s mission—and Callum’s secrets—be more than their burgeoning love can take? Or will flesh—and blood—win over the ghosts that haunt them both? ….

Buy it now!

Here's where you can find the trailer on Youtube:

Here's an excerpt:

In this scene, the hero, a centuries-old faery knight whose life has been devoid of romance, is doing his best to woo Lady Vanessa, a free-spirited “poor little rich girl” and paranormal investigator who, unbeknownst to him, is using sex to gain access to his castle. He’s spent the day showing her around Caithness and, in the midst of a sunset stroll on the beach, has suggested they take shelter from the wind in a nearby cave.

Callum got to his feet, took Vanessa’s hand, and pulled her across the dunes toward the cliffs. She couldn’t see the entrance to the cave until he swept back a curtain of vines. She followed him through the narrow entrance, holding tightly to his hand. The interior was cool, dark, and smelled a bit fishy, but not offensively so.

Stepping in front of her, he put a hand on her chin and lifted her gaze to his. The spark between them was palpable and she longed for him to kiss her. She licked her lips invitingly, hoping he’d take the hint.

“You’re very bonny, mo dearbadan-de,” he said softly, seductively, as he brushed back a wayward strand of her hair.

“What did you just call me?”

“My butterfly,” he said, “in Gaelic.”

She put her arms around his neck and offered him her mouth. He accepted, nibbling and flicking his tongue against her lips. She pulled the band from his ponytail, freeing his windblown mane. As it tumbled around his shoulders, she wove her fingers among its silky strands, pressing his mouth harder against hers.

When he offered his tongue, she greeted it with her own. He moaned—a deep, needful sound that dumped accelerant on her desire. She thrust her hips against him, finding him as aroused as she was. He pushed back, grinding against her as he walked her backward toward the wall of the cave. As her back met rough rock, warm fingers came under her blouse, climbed her ribs, and pushed under her bra. As he teased her nipples, something deep in her core turned all soft and molten.

She was air, he fire, and right now, she wanted his light and heat, wanted him to consume her in a crackling blaze.

He broke out of the kiss, moved his mouth to her ear, and nibbled the lobe. She grew weak in the knees as his tongue traced the sensitive inner folds.

“Why do you run away from love, mo dearbadan-de?” he whispered huskily. “Do you see it as a trap?”

“More a fraud than a trap.”

“And sex isn’t?”

“With sex, you know what you’re getting.”

“And when it’s over, you’ve got nothing.”

“How is love different?”

“I don’t know,” he said, “having never felt it.”

“We’re alike in that,” she said, “but from what I’ve observed, it’s a mirage people only chase because they feel incomplete within themselves.”

Taking her face between his hands, he trained her in his riveting gaze. “Do you truly believe that?”

“Yes.”

He let her go, turned his back, and stepped away. For the longest time, he stood there, just out of reach, saying nothing. Then, as suddenly as he’d turned his back, he rounded on her with eyes like yellow coals. “Tell me, Madame Butterfly. Who made you feel so unlovable?”

The question impaled her like a red-hot spike. Damn him for asking it, for digging so deep, for skewering her with his probe. She suddenly felt ridiculous, like some poor little rich girl. She’d been born into wealth and privilege. What right did she have to be unhappy? So what if her parents didn’t love her or she had no true friends.

Boo-fucking-hoo. Get over yourself.

What right did she have to wallow in self-pity when children were starving, people were dying of Ebola, and the planet was being raped on a daily basis? She deserved no compassion, despite the searing wound she did her best to ignore.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said in a voice that sounded faint and faraway under the blood-thunder in her ears.

“No? Then why have you closed your heart?”

Defiance bubbled in her heart like hot tar. Damn him for trying to get past the battlements she’d spent years erecting hurt by hurt and brick by brick. If anything, she should build her walls higher where this bedeviling baron was concerned, not let him wear them down like rain.

“Did you bring me in here to psychoanalyze me?”

“No,” he whispered, the heat of his breath caressing, soothing. His hand glided purposefully down her body and pushed between her legs. As he stimulated her through her knickers, she threw back her head and expelled a soft sigh—of pleasure and relief. A rapacious lover, she was equal to. A probing one, not so much.

As he stroked her through the satin crotch of her knickers, desire fluttered in her abdomen like an injured bird. He’d struck too close to home. She’d didn’t feel loveable because she’d never felt loved. Not for one single, solitary moment of her entire privileged life. She’d had a chain of nannies who believed children should be seen but not heard before being packed off to boarding school where she was treated with equal detachment. Her parents, in short, had hired others to raise her—no, make that train her. In their eyes, she was a hunk of clay to be molded, not a human being to be nurtured. How disappointed they must have been when they got an outspoken nonconformist in place of the pretty marionette they’d paid for.

Callum’s finger came inside her knickers and began to circle her clitoris, smothering her bitterness in the syrup of pleasure. The orgasm charged and retreated, charged and retreated, and then finally exploded in a heavenly cascade.

Setting his hands on the wall on either side of her head, he docked his forehead against hers and said, “I’d rather chase the mirage than die alone without hope in the desert.”

Here's a little more about the series from the author:

The Knights of Avalon, the four-part erotic PNR/UF series Starry Knight launches, was born of a simple idea: to write a series incorporating different forms of divination. From that kernel grew the far more complex world of the series. The “knights” of Avalon, the enchanted otherworld isle featured in Arthurian and Celtic legend, were Scottish noblemen who, after falling in battle, were taken by the fairies to serve as breeding drones to their queen. Each of the four books in the series tells the story of a particular knight and the heroine whose love saves him from his unhappy existence.

Each knight grapples with a different relationship with Morgan Le Fay, the cruel and selfish queen of Avalon. Callum Lyon, the hero of Starry Knight (book one), is free of Morgan’s influence, having escaped enslavement after faking his own death. Leith MacQuill, the hero of Dark and Stormy Knight (book two), was expelled from Avalon after the queen discovered his amour with one of her scouts. In book three, which I’ve yet to write, Axel Lochlann, a rune-casting Scot of Viking descent, guards the portal between Hitherworld (our realm) and Thitherworld (the otherworldly realm).  The fourth knight, Finn MacKnight, doesn’t know what he is or that he’s destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy telling of the queen’s overthrow by a “natural-born” drone. Because of this prophecy, Morgan kills all the male children she bears and punishes the knights who father them

Avalonian knights are vampire-like, but not vampires per se. Members of the Unseelie Fae, they drink blood and can assume the form of any creature they choose, but generally take the form of a particular animal to hunt. Callum’s preferred form is a lion, Leith’s is a Kellas Cat, Axel’s is a gyrfalcon, and Finn’s is a jaguar.

Astrology is the new-age element featured in Starry Knight (hence the name). Callum, the court astrologer to King James IV, fell in battle in 1513, after warning the king the stars did not favor the invasion of England. Ignoring Callum’s advice proved costly to the king and his astrologer.

In modern times, Callum lives in the northernmost county of Scotland as a reclusive political astrologer. The heroine, a free-spirited English aristocrat named Vanessa Bentley, comes to Caithness with the goal of getting inside Barrogill Castle. She’s just finished her training as a paranormal investigator and the London paparazzi have been giving her a hard time. Legend has it a vampire lives at Callum’s castle, so she decides to seduce the gorgeous, golden-haired baron to gain entry to his otherwise inaccessible abode. Needless to say, both get a lot more than hot sex (but also plenty of that!) from the bargain they strike.

Tarot cards, voodoo, ghosts, and the more traditional form of vampire also play roles in the plot. I hope readers enjoy Starry Knight and the rest of the series as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

Here's a little more about the author:

Nina Mason

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 four books out at present and three more on the way. Her current releases are, in order of publication: The Queen of Swords, a darkly erotic Scottish paranormal romance/urban fantasy; The Tin Man, a political thriller; and Devil in Duke's Clothing and The Duke's Bedeviled Bride, the first two installments in an erotic historical series titled Royal Pains. Book three of Royal Pains will be released in October.

Starry Knight is the first book in a four-part paranormal romance series titled The Knights of Avalon. The series combines Arthurian legend, Celtic mythology, and Scottish history to tell the story of four mortals taken by the faeries after falling in battle. The Knights of Avalon are the breeding drones of the legendary sorceress Morgan Le Fay. Book Two, Dark and Stormy Knight, will be released in January 2016. The series is being published by Lyrical/Kensington.

Here are Ms. Mason's social-media links:

Author website: http://ninamasonauthor.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ninamasonromance
Twitter handle: @ninamasonauthor
Goodreads page: http://goodreads.com/ninamasonauthor
Blog: http://ninamasonromance.blogspot.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ninamason165
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/ninamasonauthor


Here's the link to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a signed copy of STARRY KNIGHT and other great prizes:

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