Raine’s Sinful Seductions June Newsletter is OUT!

Check out June’s newsletter. It is chockfull of news, reviews, chat dates and huge loop news! Get it at either my new loop (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Rainedelight) 

or at my newsletter only loop (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RaineDelightNewsletter)

See you next month!

In the Spotlight: Aline de Chevigny

 

When I was born, my parents christened me Aline de Chevigny.  Maybe they knew then, what I’m just now figuring out. I was born to be a romance author! I am Canadian and a Chemical Engineering Technologist who decided one day to try the impossible. Or so I thought, LOL, the year I turned 30, I moved far away from all my family and friends to start a new job. I was so bored and lonely that I picked up my pen and started writing the stories floating around in my head down on paper. I never dreamed they’d be published, but to my surprise and delight my publisher liked it. My family has been extremely supportive of my goal and they continue encouraging me to sub my works.

Since that day I’ve written and sold 18 books, from Novella to Novel length and in various romance genres.

You can find blurbs and excerpts of my all my stories at www.alinedechevigny.com  along with some free reads, contests and in progress works.

Website: http://www.alinedechevigny.com/

 

 Newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Aline_Newsletter/

 

Please feel free to join, if you like to be first informed of my new contests of coming soon books.

 

 Blog:  http://alinedechevigny.blogspot.com/

 

Forum: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=209

 

 Group: See below hehe

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/authorbox/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LeagueAmazingWriters/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/daughters_of_circe/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/onekiss/

 

Websites: See Below

Daughter’s of Circe: http://www.daughtersofcirce.com/     

League of Amazing Writer’s: http://www.leagueofamazingwriters.com/

 

 My Publisher’s Yahoo chatting loops:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForbiddenWhispers/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AMP_Community/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/redrosepublishing/

 

 MySpace:  http://www.myspace.com/alinedechevigny

******************************************************************

Getting to know Aline:

 

Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.

 

My next upcoming release is called Blood Hunted: Chronicles of the Cursed (Book 3)

It is the 3^rd book in y Vampire series with Aspen Mountain Press coming in July.

Blurb: Nicolai had lost all hope of finding his mate. A hundred years alone left a vampire jaded. Until he agreed to take on a fiery little spy who saved his house, his Sire and his heart. Now he just needs to convince her that joining his side is the only way to survive the coming battle and remove the Demon from their midst once and for all.

Kelly Ravenson, had been through enough heartache and heartbreak since being turned to know that trust needed to be earned. The women of Raven house needed her. Could she really leave them unprotected just to follow her heart?

My Latest Releases are (cause I’ve had 2 this month) are:

Some Gave All Anthology and Nature’s Whim.

To Buy Some Gave All: http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/new-releases/some-gave-all/prod_139.html

When Genie’s grandfather garners her promise to deliver a letter addressed to his lost love Eugenie, she  agrees and makes her way to the veterans’ reunion. Eugenie though, has passed away, and has sent her grandson to deliver a last letter to her Wiliam.  Two strangers meet in Las Vegas to learn the truth about their grandparents and discover what it means to fall in love at first sight

 

To Buy Nature’s Whim: http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=168

Ares had one goal, to become the most powerful of the old Gods, and with Mother Nature missing the time to act was now. But Mother Nature was back. She’d been reincarnated into the body of a young woman with a quick wit and sharp tongue who didn’t have a clue. Now Ares had to make the most difficult decision of his immortal life. Does he help Desdemona Carpenter get both her powers and the elements under control or does he smite what could be true love and aim for the power he so desperately desires?

 

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

 

I’m always working. I have a full time job where I work 182 hours in 2 weeks and then I write.

 

What season is your favorite and why?

 

It used to be spring, cause the snow melts and it gets warm and the irises bloom. But this year I haven’t had a spring and the irises died cause of the freak snow falls LOL.

 

What would we find on your bookcase if we looked? What is one of your favorite authors?

 

LOL you’re head would hurt. I have everything from Fantasy to Historical’s to Thriller, etc…

 

My favorite author is Mercedes Lackey, I own everything she’s written. She has a bookshelf all to herself LOL.

 

What was the last book you read (e or print) and did you like it?

 

The last book I read I finished yesterday. It was called Unexpected Bride by Lisa Childs.

I loved the story until I reached the end and found the author had left the story hanging. Yes she has a sequel but it involves another character and you never know what happens to the bride in this story LOL

 

What makes a good book?

 

A story you can’t put down, character you love, hate or love to hate. Plot.

 

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?

 

I work in a diamond mine LOL

 

Boxers or briefs?

 

Boxers, leaves more to the imagination.

 

Ben Affleck or Matt Damon to save the world?

 

Ewwww do I have to chose one of them? I’d rather have Val Kilmer thank you very much.

 

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?

 

I write sensual romances, with hot male leads whom I have a few people fighting over

 

Where are you published?

 

I’m published at:

 

Forbidden Publications

Website: http://www.forbiddenpublications.com/

Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForbiddenWhispers/

 

Aspen Mountain Press

Website: http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/

Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AMP_Community/

 

Red Rose Publications

Website: https://www.redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/

Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/redrosepublishing/

 

 

Thanks for coming! J

 

 

 

In the Spotlight: Sloane Taylor

Sloane Taylor is a sensual woman who believes humor and sex are healthy aspects of our everyday lives which carry over into her books.

 

If travel to exotic locations is your thing, along with heroes who rock your world and heroines who keep them in line, then you’ll love a Sloane Taylor novel. Her stories are set in Europe where the men are all male and the North American women they encounter are both feminine and strong. There’s always a twist, and as a true romantic, the women Sloane writes will bring more than lust to their men’s lives.

 

Born and raised in Chicago, Sloane and Studly, her mate for life, split their time between a home in Illinois and a weekend cottage on the back roads of Indiana. If you can’t find her in either place, you can always catch up with her traveling though Europe researching for new material.

 

 Please visit her at www.sloanetaylor.com or www.myspace.com/sloanetaylor.

******************

Getting to know Sloane:

Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.

 

French Twist is the third book in the Naughty Ladies of Nice series. It’s my first attempt adding suspense to a novel. Mind you since I write erotica the focus is still on the characters and their attraction to each other. Here’s the blurb:

 

Interpol agent Claudette D’Laquois is on the run. Dull Uncle Paul and his rundown chateau in Nice, France are her only safe haven. She never allowed for a delectable estate manager more threatening than the Russian mob boss who wants her dead.

Three weeks of overseeing the operations on his friend’s orchard seems like the ideal vacation to CPA Don Hobbs. It was, until a sex goddess pulls him into a world of drugs and intrigue.

 

I hope the readers enjoy the storyline and characters. This is a fun series to write with each book quite different. I’d like to continue it for more stories, but that’s up to the readers.

 

 

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

 

Definitely read, but my absolute favorite is cooking. Six nights of the week I cook, not because I have to but because I want too. Scouring through cookbooks then adapting recipes to what we like is my kind of fun.

 

Each month we post a complete menu on my website that’s easy and tasty. I’m always looking for new recipes. Studs is my taste tester. The man sure has given his seal of approval to some terrific meals sent over by author friends and readers.

 

Hint, hint, Raine.J

 

What season is your favorite and why?

 

Spring, when the world starts new, is the best. I enjoy gardening, not the weeds part, and dining alfresco. Doesn’t that sound romantic? We have a small patio with a fenced in garden that looks very much like one you’d see in France. On clear evenings Studs will lug out the telescope. We’ll sit there for hours with a nice bottle of wine watching the stars.

 

What would we find on your bookcase if we looked? What is one of your favorite authors?

 

Not what you’d expect for a romance writer. Lol. I’m an eclectic reader. Anything and everything is packed onto my shelves. There’s plenty of murder, poetry, the classics, all types of romance and a hefty selection of non-fiction. I almost forgot the 70 plus e-books stored in my computer! Of course there are a slew of reference books on writing and editing.

 

My true favorite is Alexander Solzhenitsky. Not too many people have heard of him or if they have, remember him. He wrote One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich which explained life in the Russian Gulag. The book was released in 1963. My poor copy is yellowed and tattered and one of my prized possessions.

 

What was the last book you read (e or print) and did you like it?

 

It was an e-book from eternal Press, Viet Nam Holiday by Bruce Cooke. There’s something about a guy who writes sensual that takes me over the top.J

 

What makes a good book?

 

For me it’s the plot. Romance or mystery I want a story that keeps me enthralled until the last page.

 

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?

 

A few years ago I had the opportunity to walk one mile on the Great Wall of China. The entire trip was mind blowing, but that day, talking with the people and being on the Wall was the opportunity of a lifetime.

 

Boxers or briefs?

 

Either!! It’s the guy inside that matters.

 

Ben Affleck or Matt Damon to save the world?

 

Can I plug in Sean Connery or Matthew McConaughey? Or how about both in a softly lit room and yours truly? Oops, I forgot, they’re supposed to be saving the world. J

 

Where are you published?

 

FRANCINE ON FIRE is at Aspen Mountain Press www.aspenmountainpress.com where TEDDI TURNS ON will appear in June and PHOTO OP! later this year.

 

FRENCH TART and FRENCH DELIGHTS are at www.eternalpress.ca with FRENCH TWIST coming in June followed by FRENCH KISS and FRENCH TICKLER.

 

Thanks for coming! J

Thanks so much for having me, Raine. It’s been great gabbing with you.

 

 

 

 

Thought of the day for you!

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly,
Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably,
And never regret anything that made you smile!

In the Spotlight: Raelynn Blue

RaeLynn Blue is the author of numerous titles of interracial and multicultural erotic romance. A humble scribbler of tales, RaeLynn is actively writing another story of lust, love, and romance. Join her at http://raelynnblue.blogspot.com

 

Links:

Website, http://raelynnblue.blogspot.com
Myspace, http://www.myspace.com/raelynnblue
A Blue Blog, http://blog.myspace.com/raelynnblue
The Color of Love, http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/thecoloroflove

 

What do you like to do when you’re not working? When not working, I like to read. A ton of authors, Banks, Hamilton, Harrison, Azod, Marilyn Lee, King, and others too many to name.

 

What season is your favorite and why? Fall is my favorite seasons because I enjoy the cooler temperatures, the mixture of earth tones and the falling of leaves crunching beneath booted feet. I love turtlenecks and sweaters, corduroys and boots. I am so not a summer girl.

 

What would we find on your bookcase if we looked? What is one of your favorite authors? , Banks, Hamilton, Harrison, Azod, Marilyn Lee, King, a number of manga and comics, Richard Morgan, Octavia Butler, Neil Gaimen, etc.

 

What was the last book you read (e or print) and did you like it? The last book I read was The Outlaw Demon Wails and I loved it. Harrison is one of my favorites.

 

What makes a good book? Authenticity, a solid, thriving plot and sizzling passion.

 

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done? The most interesting thing I’ve ever done was travel to Ethiopia to adopt my sons.

 

Boxers or briefs? Boxers—briefs remind me of little boys still clinging to their moms and wetting the bed.

 

Vin Diesel or George Clooney? Are you kidding? DIESEL!

 

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work? I want readers to try my stories and know that I’ve been writing my entire life. I also write in a variety of genres, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary, and non-erotic romance too. Not all of my titles are interracial tales, some are multicultural and other genres. Life isn’t simply black and white and neither are my stories.

 

Where are you published? My works can be found at Red Rose Publishing, Whispers Publishing, Phaze Publishing, and Whiskey Creek Press-Torrid Publishing.

 

Thanks for coming! J

 

Thanks for having me. It’s been super FUN!

 

In the Spotlight: Tabitha Shay

Tabitha Shay is the author of Witch’s Brew which is available in E-format from Eternal Press. She is also the author of Witch’s Heart, the second book in the Winslow Witches of Salem Series. She is a PNR P.E.A.R.L Award Finalist for best paranormal debut author for 2007.Tabitha also writes contemporary western romances under the pen name Jaydyn Chelcee.

 

Mrs. Shay lives at the foot of the world’s highest hill in Poteau, Oklahoma. She loves witch romances and collecting coins, and hearing from her readers.

 

Visit her website at www.tabithashay.com

 

Watch for Witch’s Heart coming in Feb and In the Arms of Danger in July, 2008, a Jaydyn Chelcee novel.

**************

Getting to know Tabitha:

 

 

Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.

 

My next release is In the Arms of Danger. It will be available in June from Eternal Press and comes out under my other pen name, Jaydyn Chelcee. Danger is an action-packed, contemporary western romance with a feisty heroine and a to-die-for hero who has his hands full with the unpredictable Southern born and bred, Lacey Weston.

 

 

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

 

By working, I assume you mean writing??…When I pull myself away from the computer, I like to read a good romance, watch an action movie or collect new coins. I’m an avid coin collector so I haunt pawn shops when I have the time. I also search for swords. Yes, my living room is decorated in the medieval era, so I’m always on the lookout for swords, shields, knights in shining armor. (Laughs)

 

What season is your favorite and why?

 

I love the fall. I can really get into Halloween. I love decorating the yard and house. Couldn’t be any thing else for an author of paranormal romances. Have to love the ghosties, goblins and witches. (Giggles)

 

What would we find on your bookcase if we looked? What is one of your favorite authors?

(Laughs) Much as I hate to say it, dust. But I also have way too many books and I’m fanatical about keeping them in neat rows and all one author’s books lined up together. One of my favorite authors is Linda Howard. She’s been a favorite for many years, mainly because she has the unique talent of bringing the reader everything, action, mystery, romance, laughter and steamy sex to her books. I want to be that kind of author, one who can create it all.

 

What was the last book you read (e or print) and did you like it?

 

Print. Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood, another one of my favorite authors and yes, I love everything Julie Garwood has written to date.

 

What makes a good book?

 

As I said above, when you have the talent to combine everything, laughter, romance, mystery, action and hot sex. I’ve read books that only had the mystery, a little romance, no laughter, etc…those books are very disappointing for me.

 

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?

 

A four day drive from Oklahoma to Salem, Oregon with my mother and three of my sisters. That was a hell of a trip! We had so much fun, saw things together we’d never seen before, because none of us had ever traveled west of Oklahoma City. Pure adventure! Would I do it again? Never!

 

Boxers or briefs?

 

Briefs. (Laughs) For obvious reasons.

 

Ben Affleck or Matt Damon to save the world?

 

Ben Affleck. I love that man’s eyes. When he tears up, I cry too.

 

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?

 

I not only write contemporary western romances but I write paranormal romances too, under a different pen name, Tabitha Shay. I’m presently working on Witch’s Moon, the third book of the Winslow Witches of Salem Series as well as No Holds Barred, the second book of the Montana Men Series. Not only do I have two more books to write this year, but I just signed a six book deal with my publisher. The books are spread out over a three year period, Thank God. (Laughs)

 

Where are you published?

 

Eternal Press ….http://www.eternalpress.ca

 

Thanks for coming! J

 

Thanks for inviting me. I’ve had a great time. Visit my website at www.tabithshay.com    I love hearing from my fans, so please feel free to sign my guest book, leave a comment, read my blog…

 

Tabitha Shay

 

 

 

 

 

In the Spotlight: Dorice Nelson

Visit Dorice’s links to find more about this talented author:

www.DoriceNelson.com

http://celticmusings.blogspot.com
http://awriter-dorice.blogspot.com

******

Getting to know Dorice Nelson:

Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.

Hopefully, my upcoming release will be my contemporary suspense/woman’s chiller novel, Vengeance Is Mine. It has a bit of murder, mayhem and mystery to it, plus an unusual villain. “Horsewoman Ayden Mahoney struggles with an ‘in-the-red’ Thoroughbred Horse Farm, two half-sisters she’s never known about, a former, never-forgotten lover and a murderer who threatens to kill her and whatever family she has.”

 

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Before my move to a small, rural mid-state village in New York, I enjoyed the Adirondack Mountains, walking with my dog and my horse and just smelling the air. I have always enjoyed reading and do so in every spare minute. I like to research, read history and come up with scenarios…I’m laughing. I don’t think I’m ever not working. I’m a woman and a wife—so jobs just arrive.

 

What season is your favorite and why?

I love autumn because of the gorgeous foliage. We have what the folks in this town call a mountain at the back of our property. The color in the fall is breathtaking. I also love the cold, so I really like winter a lot. Even below zero weather doesn’t bother me. I used to ski and enjoy winter sports. Spring is pretty and summer is far too hot for me to enjoy unless I’m in the water. I guess I’m a mountain, water and trees kinda’ gal.

 

What would we find on your bookcase if we looked?

You’d find all sorts of books on Ireland and Scotland. Many of my characters are Celts, and I adore them. History book stand on the shelves, plus most of the New York Times Book Reviews books. I like to read what’s long gone and what’s current.

 

Who is one of your favorite authors?

I love so many I think I’ll just name a few. (Grisham, Cobin, Brockman, Roberts, Martini, George, Follett, King, Coontz, Kuntz and a myriad of others.)

 

What was the last book you read (e or print) and did you like it?

I just finished a book of Suz Brockman—not her latest. I’m catching up on some of her past novels. Of the three I read, I absolutely loved two of them. She’s a good writer and a lovely person.

 

What makes a good book?

I guess I’m a traditionalist. I like a good beginning, a middle that doesn’t sag or make me lose interest and an ending that satisfies. If something clicks with me while reading, I love the book—until I find the next one. I love to read and so I’m easy to entertain.

 

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?

I think my experiences as a ocean lifeguard on the Northeast coast was interesting—especially when dolphins were about. But, the thing I loved most was my relationship with my dogs and my horses. I loved riding, liked the breeding aspect but loved the showing over fences.

 

Boxers or briefs?

Now, that depends on the guy who’s wearing them.

 

Vin Diesel or George Clooney?

Again, it depends on the guy and what’s happening. I’m not much for hero worship/

 

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?

That I enjoy writing more than most things. I love my time at the computer and I even love to hold that pencil in my hand and let the words flow. My books are historically accurate, except for the fact that I drag my characters, kicking and screaming, through the worst of history.

 

Where are you published?

I am published with Write Words, Incorporated, in both their print and ebook divisions. My books are at Amazon, Borders, Target and Fictionwise. My publisher is wonderful and she’s being very patient, waiting for Vengeance Is Mine or the sequels to Saratoga Summer: 1863 and Clan Gunn: Gerek.

 

 

Introducing Mirella Patzer and her new book, Bloodstone castle!

Welcome author Mirella Patzer to my blog. Please introduce yourself, Mirella and where can we find your book?

 

Hi everyone, it’s a pleasure to be here.  My name is Mirella Patzer and I’m a published author of historical fiction specializing in the medieval era.  I’ve also had several short stories published.  My current novel is entitled Bloodstone Castle.  It is currently available at Amazon and is trickling into local book stores now.  It will also be available as an ebook on Amazon and Fictionwise.  I’m also at work recording it as an audio book so it can be available at ITunes several months from now.   
 

1) How do you pick  the historical times you write in and are any of your books part of a series?

 

I set out wanting to write about a powerful queen in history.  Adelaide of Burgundy really caught my interest.  As I began to research, Adelaide led me to her husband, Otto the Great.  So I delved into his family and my novel has now become a trilogy or a 4 book series.  The first two are completed in draft form and I’m currently polishing and self-editing them.   

 

2) How do you find out what was socially acceptable at the time?

 

Writing about the 10th century is very difficult because it was so long ago and much that existed back then, is no longer.  I collect research, old books, books from other countries.  There is a wonderful book I purchased entitled “Living in the Tenth Century” by Heinrich Fichtenau which has been very helpful.  I also depend greatly upon the book “Queenship and Sanctity” by Sean Gilsdorf..  I have other books no longer in print that I’ve scoured the Internet for and purchased.  All these help me understand the lives of my characters.     

 

3) How difficult is it to write about the speech pattern at the time?

 

It is extremely difficult and I’m not a fan of trying to replicate.  It would make reading it a little more difficult.  My goal is to have the readers fall into the plot, so I stick to a formal writing style and sprinkle a few medieval, Italian, and German words in here or there for authenticity.  

 

4) How long does all your research take and where do you get all the data from?

 

I have been researching the 10th century since 2003.  At first, I spent an entire 6 months during which I produced a year by year outline.  Since then, I continue to research on a chapter by chapter basis.  I continue to scour the Internet for resources.  In fact, I just ordered a book from Italy written in Italian about one of my 10th century characters.   

 

5) Do you belong to any Historical Societies at all?

 

I desperately tried to join the SCA chapter in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, however, no one seems to be minding their emails and updating their website.  I have made numerous attempts to contact them, with little result.  I will keep trying however because I have a lot to contribute as well as learn. 

 

6) as a first time reader of your books, which book would you suggest to start with and why?

 

I recommend my readers start with Bloodstone Castle.  It is my newest release and it is a stand alone novel.  It is a romantic suspense novel similar in style to the novels of Lisa Jackson, another medieval romantic suspense author.      

 

7) How long have you been writing? what got you interested in Medevil/Historical fiction-romance stories?

 

I’ve been writing since 2002.  I’ve always had a love for medieval and historical fiction.  I devoured fairy tales as a child and I believe I never outgrew my fondness for stories about queens and princesses.  I read Gone With The Wind when I was twelve and have been hooked on historical fiction ever since.  

 

Have you ever visited a castle before and if so, where was it?

 

Yes, I have visited castles before.  All three were in Italy.  My uncle who lives in Milano took me to see

Sforzesco Castle, linked to the vicissitudes and dramatic events that the city has been experiencing over the past centuries. The Castle was named after Francesco Sforza, who transformed it into a ducal residence in 1450. But its origins date back to the second half of the 14th century, at the time of Galeazzo II Visconti.  I also had the pleasure of visiting Bassano della Grappa, a little village near the beginning of the Valsugana valley, the Pre-Alps zone, in north-east of Italy.  Lastly, I visited the Miramare Castle in Trieste built between 1856 to 1860.  It is the ”love-nest” of Maximilian of Habsburg and Charlotte of Belgium.  I cherished every moment of my visits at these castles and even further researched the story behind them.  I think I’m obsessed with castles.  

Thank you for coming. Care to share a little about your book and maybe a 500 word excerpt with the readers?

 

Bloodstone Castle is a romantic suspense story.  It is the story of one woman who possesses a bloodstone pendant said to have originated from a lost ancient Roman treasure buried beneath her castle.  Two men vie for her hand in marriage for very different reasons.  Amidst murder and love, secret tyrsts and evil intentions, she must chose between two men, both dukes.  Here is an excerpt from the first chapter:  

 

Chapter One

Genoa, Italy

965 A.D.

The black stallion galloped hard. The thrash of Duke Amoro Dragone’s crop landed solidly against the animal’s haunches. Sparks flew at each rhythmic strike of horseshoes against the old Roman road. Sweat saturated the stallion’s sleek coat. The creature’s nostrils flared scarlet. Its breath streamed ribbons of mist into the cold air.

Amoro glanced at the bodyguards who raced to keep up. One carried his family’s standard of a scarlet dragon on a black background. He urged the mount faster. His mother needed him. Genoa needed him.

Flames from thousands of torches illuminated the city of Genoa, but grief blinded him to its beauty. He navigated the narrow streets by rote and ascended steep hills into the heart of the port city. Amoro rode across the open drawbridge into the courtyard of Castle Dragone. His bodyguards close behind. He dismounted and tossed the reins to a waiting groom. The stallion panted, its head hung low. Its legs shook with exhaustion. It pained Amoro to put his horse through such effort. “Tend to him with extra attention. He has earned it.”

Without waiting for acknowledgement, Amoro sprinted up the steps of the castle. The spurs of his boots jangled as he passed through the massive oak entrance and dashed through the corridors. He advanced beneath the shadow of an arch to the entrance of the great hall. Two guardsmen snapped to attention then opened the door at his appearance.

People crowded the room. His grief-stricken mother, Caterina, stood by the bier dressed in black. His father, Duke Bartolomeo Dragone, lay in his finery. Heaps of blossoms, aromatic herbs, and pine bows surrounded him. Shock halted Amoro. The man, so active in life, looked unfamiliar in death.

“Amoro,” Caterina hurled herself into her son’s arms and wept.

“I’m sorry.” Amoro embraced his mother. Words caught in his throat. She sobbed against his chest. Amoro’s heart constricted to see her so anguished. His arms still about her, he escorted her to a chair near the bed and assisted her to sit. He raised her hand and kissed it.

Caterina ran a hand down his cheek. She turned her swollen eyes to the black and red dragon standard that covered her husband’s body.

The Archbishop of Genoa hovered over the body and muttered solemn prayer. His face, serious and pale, contrasted with his brilliant purple vestments. Attendants whispered and emitted muffled sobs. A peculiar chill suffused the room.

I never anticipated this.

He knew no man as a kind and well respected. His heart pounded hard in his chest. At his father’s bier, Amoro dropped to his knees. In repose, the body looked waxen and cold. He touched his sire’s hand and pulled the stiff fingers to his forehead in one last obeisance, one last farewell. He opened his eyes and studied his father’s face. Amoro plummeted into a void of despair. The sound of his sobs suppressed all other sounds. He crossed his father’s lifeless hands atop the red and black pall. Amoro let his hand linger until he regained his composure

“Did he receive last rites?” Amoro asked the Archbishop in a voice raw with emotion.

“Yes, your father shall rest in peace..”

“I am grateful.”

“It is as God wished.” The Archbishop made the sign of the cross over Amoro and looked back at Caterina. “I’ll keep you both in my prayers.”

Amoro turned to his mother. “They told me he was ambushed. Is this true?”

She stared with lustreless eyes clogged by shock, unable to respond.

Amoro looked beyond her and raised his voice to the assembled vassals arrayed in mourning. “One of you, answer me. Did he face an ambush?”

Roberto, his father’s commander-at-arms of his troops, stepped forward. “It is true.” His gravely voice shattered the shocked silence. Amoro clenched his jaw. “How did this happen?”

“Yesterday we returned from Savona. Your father went there to collect a debt. Brigands accosted us. They outnumbered us. One slashed your father across the belly with a broadsword. We tried to stop the bleeding and dress the wound, but he lost too much blood. He died before the sun set.” Raw anger twisted Roberto’s face.

Amoro swallowed hard. “And what of the man who felled him?”

“Dead by my own sword,” Roberto growled. His countenance turned grim, yet his eyes glimmered with satisfaction at the redress.

Amoro stepped closer, placed his arm around Roberto’s shoulder, and led him away from his mother, so she could not overhear.

Amoro lowered his voice. “Did you know the man?”

Roberto shrugged. “No.” His looked turned venomous.  “I ordered the body drawn and quartered. The bastard’s head is impaled in the square.”

Amoro closed his eyes. Sangue di Dio. Roberto should have interrogated the man to discover the motive behind the murder. Nonetheless, Roberto defended his father, and for that, he owed the man his gratitude.

“You have been ever faithful to my father and our family. I’m proud to call you a friend. I shall see you well rewarded.”

“My lord,” Roberto said, his eyes gentled by compassion. “The night before he died, your father spoke with me.”

“Of what did you speak?”

“Of many things, but mostly of you.”

“Me?” The extent of Amoro’s loss churned at his gut.

Roberto nodded. “We camped outside Varezze. The inn had no vacancy. The men drank too much wine and fell asleep early. Your father couldn’t sleep, so he woke me. He seemed preoccupied. He confided in me.” Roberto faltered. Lines of concentration deepened along his brows.

It shocked Amoro to see the brawny man yield to his pain.

“Continue, Roberto, please,” Amoro urged.

“Your father wearied of the feud between your family and the Monterossa.”

Amoro’s drew his brows together. “I weary of it. We all weary of it. Father rued the day his own father dishonoured the betrothal with a daughter of the Monterossa family. The wrath of their vengeance denies us any peace.” He paused as something occurred to him. “Do you suppose one of the Monterossa murdered my father?”   

Roberto’s mouth dipped into a deep frown. He shook his head. “We have no proof it is the Monterossa. We removed the disguise from the face of the lout we killed. None of us recognized him.. Your father’s men search from town to town to find the rest of the band. We may never learn the identities of the assassins.”

Anger replaced Amoro’s grief. Try as he might, he failed to keep it contained. “I swear to hunt down the bastards who did this. They will suffer a worse fate.” Anxiety roughened Amoro’s voice. “What else did my father say?”

“He placed all his hopes onto you. He wanted you to end the feud and atone for the past.”

“How?”

“You must honour the marriage contract broken so many years past.”

“How am I to do that?”

“You are to wed Contessa Morena Monterossa of Portovenere.”

“Marry the daughter of our enemy,” Amoro grimaced. With eyes closed, he shook his head. “Father never spoke of such a thing to me.”

“Nevertheless, that is what he said.”

Amoro stared hard at Roberto. Thoughts of Laria, his lover, came to mind. His father knew he wanted to marry for love. He asked the impossible. He returned to his mother. “Did you know of Father’s wish for me to marry a Monterossa?”

Caterina nodded. Her voice cracked with emotion. “He spoke of it to me a while ago. He wanted to end the feud and for you to strengthen the Dragone family with sons. He sent a messenger to the king to propose the match and to acquire his permission.” Caterina pulled a small scroll from the pocket of her over-tunic and handed it to Amoro. “The king sanctioned the match.”

A tense silence enveloped the room as he read the document and handed it back to his mother. Hands clasped behind his back, it took Amoro only a few strides to reach his father’s side. He glared down at the lifeless face then looked away. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. What could have possessed his sire to burden him with such a fate – to wed the enemy, someone not of his own choice? A woman he could never love.

He clenched the edge of the pall with his fists and raised it to his face. Raging emotions shook his body. To wed a woman sight unseen? What if she behaved as a shrew or bore an ill temper? If Umberto Monterossa refused? How could he honour his father’s request then?

He swung around and stared first at Roberto then at his mother. “The idea of wedding the daughter of our vilest enemy is absurd. I do not believe my father would force this upon me.”

Caterina rose from her chair and rested her hand upon his arm. “Amoro, if that is the woman your father wanted you to marry then doubt him not. No man was more astute at judging the character of men and women than your father. Besides, we have all heard talk of her virtuous nature and beauty. Don’t turn away from an opportunity to wed a well–dowered woman.”

Amoro returned to his father. He held his breath. Thoughts in his mind spun like a whirlwind. “Morena,” he tested the name. A torrent of emotions churned in his gut. To wed the enemy, a woman he didn’t know. His father doomed him by such a ludicrous demand. His father’s favourite proverb haunted him. Figlio mio, one day you must rise to your station. Do your duty and the balance will take care of itself. By the bowels of hell, what had his sire demanded of him?

    

In the Spotlight: Jane Beckenham

Author Jane Beckenham found literature at a young age.  In books she discovered dreams and hope, stories that inspired in her a love of romance, and travel.  Years later, after a blind date, Jane found her own true love and married him eleven months later.

Life has been a series of  ‘dreams’ for Jane.  Dreaming of learning to walk again after spending years in hospital. Dreaming of raising a family. And of course, dreaming of writing.

With her family growing up, life is a round of playing mum’s taxi service, all the while wondering what her hero and heroine are up to behind her back!  Writing is Jane’s addiction—and it sure beats housework.

You can contact Jane via her web site www.janebeckenham.com or email her at neiljane@ihug.co.nz  Want to join her newsletter, a monthly chat about books, authors and fun.  Go to Jane’s Newsletter or her myspace page.

 

Getting to know Jane:

 

Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.

 

I have three books scheduled for release this year (so far – LOL) Cerridwen Press has contracted a time travel/romance – Love in Waiting – it’s the story of a book store owner from Massachusetts who gets hurled back in time, only to find love doesn’t wait for the right time. Love in Waiting is set in the period when Henry 8^th was about to marry Anne Boleyn.

Then Red Rose Publishing has contracted two contemporaries.  No Sex Necessary is a book set here in New Zealand where I live, the story of how desperate someone will go to survive despite the risks of public humiliation.

Then there is The Sheikh’s Proposal, part of Red Rose’s Desert Rose collection.  This is set on an island near the Mediterranean where the perfume industry has been handed down through generations, and where Sheikh Tariq al Sulamein has to decide if he’d prepared to lose everything…for love

 

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I should be gardening, the weeds are way too high. We are owners of vintage cars and often go on day trips with other enthusiast, plus I do a lot of girlie things with my daughters.

 

What season is your favorite and why?

Autumn.  I love the change of colors (and probably this is the same for Spring too), but it’s a gentle time and often a relief after a long hot summer. 

 

What would we find on your bookcase if we looked? What is one of your favorite authors?

Sandra Hill, Sophia James, Melissa James, ND Hansen-Hill, Melody Knight and Yvonne Walus. Lots of romance books mostly, lots of research books for historical stuff. And my one weakness – interior decorating magazines!

 

What was the last book you read (e or print) and did you like it?

It was Sophia James’ Masquerading Mistress – loved it.  Also the book before that was her book – High Seas to High Society.  Loved it too!

 

What makes a good book?

A story that leaves me happy, and with a smile on my face, the one thing I really hope to be able to do for my readers too.

 

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?

I’ve lived all over the world, England, Israel, Canada, but I think the most wonderful thing I’ve done is adopting my two daughters from Russia 12 years ago.

 

Boxers or briefs?

Briefs!

 

Vin Diesel or George Clooney?

Oh without a doubt George Clooney

 

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?

That I love what I do, that I really want to make them happy, that I loved receiving the feedback I got from them for Hiring Cupid, and He’s the One (Linden Bay Romance)

 

Where are you published?

I’m published at

Red Rose Publishing

Linden Bay Romance

Treble Heart Books

 

Thanks for coming! J

Thank you so much for having me.

 

Regards Jane

www.janebeckenham.com

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty Wishes Challenge

Twenty Wishes…what would you do with those wishes? Would you wish for a house, a vacation around the world, a trip to the moon? What would it be? That is the premise of this new, heartwarming story from author Debbie Macomber that took me less than 3 hours to read. It is full of laughter, redemtion and love the only way this author knows how to do it: straight to the heart of her readers.

So I decided to see what my twenty wishes might be. Well I only have a few at the moment so here it goes:

1) Take a long overdue first vacation with the kids & my boytoy, someplace warm, where we can relax on the beach, watch sunsets and collect shells.

2) Learn Italian then go to Italy for a few weeks, exploring.

3) Learn to knit something, anything. I want to be able to say “I did that!”

4) Visit NYC and see the sights!

5) Watch a thunderstorm roll into the area with my honey and dance in the rain.

6) Visit Ireland and see where legends of the fae came from.

I know they may seem whimsical and not practical but when you think on it, wishes are just that: Not practical, straight from the heart and might be attainable someday. Will I ever go overseas, with border crossing getting tougher and security at airports the pits? No idea but can still dream of it one day. Can I dance in the rain? Well maybe once it stays warmer here in my neck of the woods *smiles* and I can do it then without catching the ague. lol

Twenty Wishes…seems so many yet when you think on it…it makes perfect sense in seeing what our hearts long for deep inside.

So go ahead and dream big because frankly, any other way would be futile! What are your twenty wishes?