Love’s Destiny – Elizabeth Meyette – Time after Time bundle

 On Sale Now! Time after Time bundle – 10 full-length historical romance novels from 10 different authors!

Today I’m featuring Elizabeth Meyette and her historical romance (one of the novels in the bundle) Love’s Destiny!

 

The simmering rebellion in the American colonies is the backdrop for this smoldering romance thwarted by a dying father’s wish and opposing loyalties.

When Jonathon Brentwood, captain of the Destiny and committed patriot, becomes the guardian of Emily Wentworth, a young English woman, each expects to meet someone very different.

Emily is not the child of her father’s stories, nor is Jonathon feeble and old as she had imagined. Instantly attracted, both try to honor George Wentworth’s dying wish and maintain the relationship he envisioned.

As passion overcomes them, their pasts and the future of a young country stand in the way of their destiny.

 

 

Love’s Destiny excerpt

 

“Captain Brentwood?  I am pleased to meet you.”  Emily was annoyed at the tremble in her voice.  He bent and kissed her hand, his lips brushing softly against her skin.  Their eyes met as he straightened.  Emily tried to steady herself, unable to make her heart stop beating so hard.  She was sure he could hear it. She reminded herself of her plan, and quickly regained her composure, straightening to her full height.

“You must be exhausted after your long, hurried voyage.  May I offer you some tea,” she paused noting his suppressed smile, “or some brandy?” she added.

“Brandy would be fine.  Thank you, … uh … Miss Wentworth,” he replied still fighting back the smile.

Emily led him into the parlor and rang for the maid; Etta appeared.  Emily knew this would be difficult for Etta still thought of her as a child.

“Two brandies please, Etta.” She raised her chin as she had practiced before the mirror.  Etta started to protest, but something in Emily’s eyes stopped her, and she hurried off to get the drinks.

“Please sit down, Captain Brentwood,” Emily said coolly as she sat on the end of the settee.  To her confusion, Jonathon sat beside her rather than in the chair she had indicated.  A crooked smile played around his lips as though he attempted to hide a joke. He thought of the “Little Em” of George’s stories and chuckled to himself.  Nothing had prepared him for this beautiful girl who was trying so hard to be a woman.

“We have much to discuss, Miss Wentworth,” he said as Etta returned with a tray carrying the decanter and two crystal glasses.

“Indeed we have, Captain,” she replied.

Etta set the tray on the table in front of Emily. The housekeeper poured brandy into the glasses, and Emily was grateful for she had no idea what an appropriate amount would have been. She thought Etta rather stingy based on what was in each glass, but she took them and handed one glass to Jonathon.  “Thank you, Etta; that will be all.”  She turned to Jonathon dismissing the housekeeper.

“Hmmmph!”  Etta grumbled as she left the room.

Jonathon silently saluted Emily and then took a drink from his glass.  Emily sipped hers and tried to choke down the spasms of coughing that threatened to overcome her.  She had sampled wine before at social gatherings, but had never tasted brandy.  Heat spread down her throat and she blinked the tears out of her eyes causing her to miss the fleeting smile that crossed Jonathon’s face.  It was a few minutes before she caught her breath enough to speak.

 

Available Now! #99cents only. Check out 10 fabulous historical romance novels by 10 terrific authors Buylink: smarturl.it/TimeaTimeBundle 

 

 

Elizabeth Meyette Bio:

Poet, blogger and believer in dreams-come-true, Elizabeth Meyette’s journey has taken her through a career in education to a career in writing. Elizabeth put her first novel, Love’s Destiny on the shelf while she taught English, Journalism and Library Science/Technology.

Upon retiring from teaching, she dusted off Love’s Destiny, polished it and submitted it to Crimson Romance, who published it in June 2012. Unlike her first novel, the sequel, Love’s Spirit took only seven months from inception to submission, and was published in April 2013.To coin a friend’s phrase, she didn’t retire, she “refired” and loves her second career as a writer. Her latest novel, The Cavanaugh House, is a mystery set in 1968 in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.  She has also published poetry and freelance articles. Elizabeth’s current projects include a play, a chapbook of poetry and children’s books.

Elizabeth and her husband Richard live in the Great Lakes Bay area of Michigan. They made an agreement that she cannot cook on writing days after he had endured burnt broccoli and overcooked chicken.  Fortunately, Richard is an excellent cook.

Visit Elizabeth at www.elizabethmeyette.com. Her blog, Meyette’s Musings, can be found at http://elizabethmeyette.blogspot.com.

Elizabeth’s books are available at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

 

Lady Broke by Rachel Donnelly – Time after Time bundle

On Sale Now! Time after Time bundle – 10 full-length historical romance novels from 10 different authors!

Today I’m featuring Rachel Donnelly and her historical romance (one of the novels in the bundle) Lady Broke!

East meets west when a high-principled Boston socialite teams up with a revenge driven bounty hunter to catch a gang of outlaws.

It’s tough being a witness when the last one turned up dead.  But Christie Wallace is determined to bring the Everett gang to justice.  Unfortunately, the law can’t protect her from pistol-toting outlaws or the intoxicating lure of a dangerous man.  But, after escaping the suffocating prospects of an arranged marriage she has no intention of allowing her heart to rule her head, even when temptation comes in the form of an incorrigible lawman named Nat Randall.

Dead or alive—it made no difference to Nat Randall.  He’d tried to bring the Everett gang to trial once before, but the law let him down.  It seems frontier justice is all he has left. But, he doesn’t count on protecting a bewitching Easterner whose courageous spirit challenges him as much as her beauty distracts. It’s not long before he’s torn between pursuing her or the outlaws.

A timeless, rollicking adventure of unlikely lovers, set in the wild west.

 

Lady Broke Excerpt:

The clang of bells sounded against the front door.

Christie’s belly gave a sickening lurch.

The robber ducked down behind the counter at her feet. In his haste, the red bandanna slipped down to his chin.

For a split second their gazes locked.

His green eyes narrowed in a murderous glare.

 

She hastily looked away.

The click of his gun cocking made her swallow hard.

He settled himself like a laying hen, on a half empty crate of canned peaches at her feet.

“Afternoon, ma’am.”

Christie swallowed hard.

The tall stranger striding toward her in the brown duster appeared far more dangerous than the robber under the counter. His blue eyes snapped as cold as spring water against his bronze skin. It was difficult to determine his features through the stubble on cheeks.

But there was purpose behind his steady advancing swagger, urging her to take a stepback.

The gun against her thigh held her still.

She managed a small frozen smile—a smile one might give when a rattler lay

curled inches from your feet. Her heart raced so fast, she could barely breathe.

 

The stranger cracked a lazy smile. His voice held a raspy edge. “I’m looking for a

no-account robber, by the name of Everett. You haven’t seen him, have you?”

 

“He’s gone.” Christie attempted to swallow past the fear in her throat. “Out the

back door.”

 

His cool gaze slid to the wide-eyed, silent McDermotts, then back to her.

Her mouth went dry.

He didn’t believe her.

He knew.

Somehow he knew.

Available Now! #99cents only. Check out 10 fabulous historical romance novels by 10 terrific authors Buylink: smarturl.it/TimeaTimeBundle 

Bio: Rachel Donnelly is a Golden Heart and Golden Pen Finalist. She lives in Canada with her husband, two children, and a crazy cat.

http://author-racheldonnelly.blogspot.ca/http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Donnelly/e/B006MJOYDM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1http://www.crimsonromance.com/crimson-romance-ebooks/crimson-romance-book-genres/historical-romance-novels/lady-broke/

 

The Reluctant Debutante by Becky Lower – Time after Time bundle

Today, I’m featuring Becky Lower – an award winning and Amazon Best Selling author. She’s also one of the authors in the Time after Time historical romance bundle from Crimson Romance.

The Reluctant Debutante

by Becky Lower

In 1855 New York, Ginger Fitzpatrick has absolutely no interest in taking part in the newest rage in America – the Cotillion Ball. Instead, Ginger would rather be rallying for women’s rights – at least until she meets her brother’s best friend from St. Louis, a dark mysterious man named Joseph Lafontaine, who ignites her passion and makes her question if love and marriage is such a ridiculous notion after all.

What she and the rest of New York’s high society don’t realize is that Joseph is half Ojibwa Indian, and therefore, totally unsuitable for marriage to a fine, cultured young lady.

In this Edith Wharton meets Julia Quinn tale, a young woman rebels against high society and opts for a life in which she creates her own set of rules.

Excerpt:

New York City, February 1855

Ginger Fitzpatrick was in a pickle, that much was certain.
Her mother took her by surprise at breakfast by announcing to the family that Ginger

would participate in the Cotillion ball two months hence. While her younger sisters squealed in excitement, Ginger couldn‘t find her voice to object to her mother‘s idea. She knew she must, considering that her father was known to grant every wish his wife had, but Ginger could only stare in confusion. And that wasn‘t the worst of it.

―George,‖ her mother stated calmly to her father, ―you must relieve Ginger of her duties at the bank so I have time to teach her the rules of etiquette she‘ll need for a full season of events. Dear Lord, I have only a couple months to cram in everything.‖

Astonished and stunned, Ginger turned to her father, hanging onto a thread of hope that her valued involvement at the bank would save her.

―Let me think about the best way to handle the shift in responsibility, darling. I‘ll make sure Ginger is free by the end of the week.‖ He glanced at Ginger‘s stupefied expression and reached across the table for her hand. ―Perhaps we could also offer a reward of some kind. Possibly a trip to St. Louis if she gets through the season without incident?‖

He had actually smiled over the breakfast table at her. As if the allure of a trip would make everything all right.

Now, Ginger strode down the hallway of the bank to talk to her father before he could continue the discussion with her mother. She had always been able to convince him of anything, if she wanted it strongly enough. After all, he allowed her to work alongside him at the bank, which went against all the rules of society and a woman‘s place in it. She stopped briefly at the window overlooking the street, watching the snow falling outside. It clung to the red bricks of the ornate bank building, and she longed to be as capricious as one of the snowflakes. Instead she had to present a strong argument to make her father see the folly in her mother‘s latest idea.

She stopped in front of his office door and smoothed her long gray skirt. Brushing her hand over her quivering stomach, she knocked.

Ginger was certain she could right this ship and make her father see things her way. At his gruff reply to enter, she inhaled deeply. She was going to have to tread softly to get out of this predicament.

―Papa, may I further discuss Mother‘s idea with you?‖

―Yes, of course, my dear. But you know by now that once your mother makes up her mind, it‘s best to go along with it.‖

Ginger glanced at him as her voice quavered. ―But, Papa … ‖
Her father merely raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.
Hmmm, the trembling voice trick usually worked. She‘d have to try a different tactic.

Tears, maybe? She hated resorting to something as totally feminine as sobbing.
She cleared her throat and started again. ―You are aware, are you not, of my worth

here at the bank?‖

With a sigh her father laid down his fountain pen and began to reposition his sleeves, which had been rolled up to avoid staining them with ink. ―Your mother‘s decision for you to participate in the Cotillion has nothing to do with your abilities at the bank. I‘m well aware of your contributions. Now, do you want to talk about what‘s really at issue here?‖

Ginger attempted to regain her calm and to remember the precise arguments she‘d planned to present. ―You obviously believe dangling a trip to St. Louis before me will be enough to get me through the Cotillion ball and the season Mother wants for me. And I agree with part of your logic. I should go to St. Louis, but without any strings attached. Basil has written to me, Papa, and told me about the West. Men there are more open- minded and not so stringent about what a woman can and cannot do.‖

She began to pace around the office as she warmed to her subject. ―Basil might be able to charm little old ladies into depositing their life savings into our bank, but I can make their money work for the good of the bank and for them at the same time.‖ She turned to face her father. ―Please, Papa, I am begging you to let me go now before the season begins. I must get away from stuffy old New York City. Our clients in St. Louis need me now, not in the fall.‖

―I agree it would be a good move for you, my child, even though I have full confidence in your brother‘s ability to run the St. Louis branch. Your mother is the one who needs convincing. And you know what she considers important.‖

―The Cotillion,‖ Ginger whispered her reply, as tears began to well up in her eyes, unbidden. She knew she was losing this argument. Nonetheless, she persevered. ―Who thought up this wretched ball idea anyway? I will feel like a piece of horseflesh at the Cotillion, being paraded about like a fine filly and up for grabs to the highest bidder.‖ She stamped her foot in frustration.

Ginger watched her father‘s jaw flex. He was not an imposing man, but he had a will of iron. He needed a strong constitution to have successfully raised nine children and to have provided a privileged life for all of them. So, when she saw the movement of his jaw, she knew what it meant. Things were not going to go her way.

George Fitzpatrick stood and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. ―I know you despise the idea, but you are not the only one concerned here. You have your sisters to consider. You know how high society works in New York, especially when the Astors and Schemerhorns are involved. If a precedent is not set this year for our family, your sisters will bear the brunt of it.‖

―But, Papa … ‖

He raised a hand to silence her. ―They will not be invited to any future balls and will miss their opportunities to be presented to society, all because of your selfish acts. I doubt you want to carry that mantle on your shoulders for the rest of your days, do you?‖ He smiled to soften his words.

―Papa, you can‘t be serious! My actions really won‘t have any impact on my sisters, will they?‖

He nodded in affirmation, and his eyes flashed at her. ―Should you choose not to participate, or to make life difficult for your mother, there will be no trip to St. Louis for you, now or in the future. You‘ll stay at our home here in New York with only your sisters for company, who will be forever known as the ̳Spinster Fitzpatricks.‘ Won‘t you have a lovely existence to look forward to?‖

She dropped her head and softly asked, ―So exactly what do I have to do?‖

George raised both hands in front of him, ticking off each item on his fingers. ―You will do whatever your mother wants. Obviously, there will be fittings for new clothes between now and the ball in April, so you will be relieved of your duties here at the bank as of Friday. You will also limit the amount of time you spend with that rabble-rouser, Amelia Bloomer. Your mother will spend the next two months giving you the etiquette lessons you‘ve been avoiding for years, in preparation for the high social season of balls, parties, plays, and operas. You will participate in each and every event and will present yourself with dignity in accordance with our family‘s position in society. You will appear to have a good time, even if it means you will be putting on an act every night. All this will be over and done with by August, and if you have done everything to your mother‘s satisfaction, I will allow you to go to St. Louis. But only if you still want to.‖

―Of course I‘ll still want to.‖

Ginger gulped as a tear slid down her cheek. She turned her face away, hoping her father wouldn‘t notice her moist eyes. He had never been this unreasonable before. For one of only a few times in her life, she could not cajole him into doing her bidding. She brushed the tear away, smoothed her skirt, and then turned back to him, meeting his tough yet tender gaze.

―All right then. I will do what you ask, Papa, to appease Mother and for the sake of my sisters. But I want you to know I will hate every moment of it. I will be marking off the days between now and the end of August when I can escape the bonds of conventionalsociety and move to the frontier. I will never become any man‘s chattel.‖

Her father smiled. ―That‘s all I ask for, Ginger. Peace and harmony on the home front. Thank you for being so agreeable.‖ His voice held more than a touch of irony.

She closed her father‘s door and walked slowly back to her office. Ginger stood in the middle of the small room and placed her hands on her hips. Under her breath she muttered, ―Bless my bloomers, I‘ve been outfoxed.

Reviews: 

Becky Lower’s The Reluctant Debutante is a well-researched, richly drawn portrait of 1855 America that intertwines a number of historical events and persons with a very romantic and sensual tale.

“This series is a breath of fresh air for a historical romance lover! I loved that the [mid-1800s America] setting for each books takes place in a different city and you can see how the approaching [Civil] war is causing havoc in so many ways. Ginger is very likable, and is a strong woman who knows what she wants.” –Rachel, The Reading Cafe

The threat of Ginger and Joseph never being able to be together happily ever after given the realistic portrayal of that time period always had me on edge and I loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to read more of this series.

Becky Lower

Available for Pre-Order Now! #99cents only. Check out 10 fabulous historical romance novels by 10 terrific authors Buylink: smarturl.it/TimeaTimeBundle 

 Author Bio: Ever since submitting her first screenplay to Bonanza at age twelve, Becky Lower has had a love affair with the American west. Since personal time travel is out of the question, she pursues her passion by writing about it. Becky is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and lives in Oberlin, Ohio with her dog, Mary.

Author Links: 

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beckylowerauthor
• Website: http://www.beckylowerauthor.com
• Blog: http://beckylowerauthor.blogspot.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeckyLower1
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6159227.Becky_Lower
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorbecky1/

 

The Glass Orchid – by Emma Barron – Time after Time Historical Romance Bundle

The Glass Orchid by Emma Barron is another wonderful full-length Historical Romance bundled as Time after Time from Crimson Romance.

A beautiful courtesan fighting to control her own destiny. A young man struggling to find his way in the world. Will falling in love mean sacrificing everything they’ve fought for?

Orphan Adele Beaumont spent her childhood being passed around to cruel or indifferent relatives. She quickly learned the harsh lesson that a fatherless, penniless girl becomes an unmarriageable woman, leaving her alone and vulnerable to the whims of society. Determined to take charge of her own fate, Del decides to pursue the only means to an independent life available to her: become a courtesan to wealthy and powerful men. 

Rhys Camden has just turned twenty one and is now employed as factotum in his father’s shipping company. He is eager to find his place in the world, but he finds himself fighting against his father’s control as the elder Camden seeks to increase the family’s social standing to match their newfound wealth. 

After a chance meeting on a foggy street, Del’s and Camden’s lives become increasingly intertwined. Their passion for each other ignites and, realizing there can be no true freedom without love, they vow to defy society and family and risk everything to be together. But they soon learn how dangerous that defiance can be. 

 

Excerpt:

Suddenly, Camden was at the settee, looming over Del like an angry storm cloud. “Bloody hell, woman, why can’t I stay away?” He dropped on his haunches in front of her, searching her face as if it held the answers to his torment.

Del knew she should say something. She should lay a hand gently on his arm and murmur reassurances. Or she should feign outrage and righteous indignation and throw him out of her townhouse with admonishments to never darken her door again, so he would be released from his anguish by the knowledge that now he had no choice but to leave her alone. But she couldn’t. Like Camden, she was conflicted, torn between wanting him to go away and never return, and feeling like she would be empty if he ever left her.

Camden took her by the arms and pulled her toward him. His grip was strong and there was tension in his fingers, yet there was strange tenderness about him too. “Is it just me?” he asked, his voice low and husky. “Am I the only one fighting this madness?”

He leaned into her, and Del was warmed by the heat of his body, touched by the energy thrumming just below the surface of his skin. She simultaneously wanted to move closer to him until his warmth enveloped her, and to pull away before she was singed by his fiery restlessness.

“No,” Del said, her voice barely a whisper. She brought her hand up to his face, traced the rough outline of his jaw. “I can’t stop thinking about you, though it would be better for both of us if I could.”

“Bloody hell,” Camden said again.

He lifted her off the settee and brought her down to the floor with him. Her nightgown and robe were billowing out around her, pooling around her knees and tangling with Camden’s booted legs. He cupped her cheek with one hand, snaked the other arm around her waist and drew her tightly against him. Del felt trembling, but she wasn’t sure which one of them was shaking. He brought his face down to hers, his breath hot against her cheek, and Del parted her lips in anticipation. He hesitated for a moment, and Del knew he was still fighting himself, still fighting the attraction between him. Merciless, she threaded her fingers through his hair and brought her lips to his.

Camden made a strangled sound low in his throat, and then some of the tension in him eased, though he didn’t become relaxed. That energy was still there, pulsing harder, and Del knew he had given into it and would fight it no longer. He kissed her, hard, like a man long denied of sustenance finally getting his fill.

It was as if all her mental faculties had left Del. Normally in such situations, she felt little and thought much–touch him here, make a hungry noise now, don’t forget to pant heavily as if overcome with desire. All of it to create the illusion that she returned her lover’s ardor, experienced the same sexual passion. Now, here, with Camden, there was no thinking, no illusions, no careful control of her responses.

She had no control of anything.

Her entire body responded to him automatically, from the fullness of her lips to her genuine lack of breath. It startled and scared her, that her body had overtaken her mind, that she was not carefully orchestrating their every move. In her fear, she wanted to pull back, to demand he leave so she wouldn’t have to feel the burgeoning terror of an actual physical and emotional connection with someone.

Camden seemed to sense her hesitation, and he withdrew his lips from hers, though his thumb brushed lightly over her cheek. “Del,” he said, and that simple word, gruffly spoken, was her undoing. It was a question, an answer, a plea, and a pledge. It was infused with both an anguished longing that said he wanted everything from her, and a solemn promise that he would never take what she couldn’t give. It told her he was filled with a yearning for her he could barely contain, but that if she said the word, he would muster up an inhuman strength and walk away.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect summer read! 

I loved the style of writing; very intelligently written, but easy enough to get completely lost in. This steamy love story is definitely not ordinary. I loved Adele Beaumont, a fiercely independent woman who protects herself by shutting out intimacy in her relationships. Rhys Camden is young man, obedient and earnest, trying to find and define himself having just turned 21 years old. They meet by accident and the sparks fly! This love story is hot, and you yearn for these two to finally give in to each other. The character development is beautiful. You get to watch two burdened souls, Adele and Rhys, find each other and eventually peel away their layers. The result is pure love, and each finds the inner peace that they didn’t even know they needed. What a wonderful book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a Vacation from Life 

I loved this novel. Reading it was like taking a break from my life and going on vacation — to 19th century London. For a week, I experienced life through Adele Beaumont – fierce independence, blissful love and steamy romance, not to mention unspeakable fear and dread. Finishing the last page left me wanting more. I hope Emma Barron has more in store for us.

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book! 

I loved this book! The writing really drew me in, and the author had an interesting take on the usual romance novel characters. Del, the heroine, is experienced and independent, but yet vulnerable. Camden is younger and less experienced, but still strong and protective. I enjoyed reading how the characters dealt with their doubts about themselves and each other, and with disapproving society and family. I’ll definitely be looking for more from Emma Barron.

Available for Pre-Order Now! #99cents only. Check out 10 fabulous historical romance novels by 10 terrific authors Buylink: smarturl.it/TimeaTimeBundle 

Bio:

Emma Barron lives in upstate New York with her family and two dogs. When not writing, she’s usually chasing her daughter, starting house projects she makes her husband finish, or killing all the plants in her garden. 

 

Author website: www.emmabarronbooks.com