Just a few
lines to let those who are regularly following my blog that, for 12 weeks,
on Thursdays I will host Paranormal Romance Thursday Tour. Starting with1st October
and till 17th December you will find here a different author who brings to our
attention her story.
Ghosts and
vampires, werewolves and wizards, dragons, witches, a
modern day Sandman
and faeswill accompany us along the
road.
Authors from all over the world - Australia, Canada, Europe, South Africa and the United States of America - bring to your attention their
captivating stories.
You have, above, a covers teaser. It includes all the books taking part in the tour. Don't forget to visit my blog and all the other authors who take part. Enjoy!
It is the turn for author Ashley York, the initiator of this awesome tour, to be in the spotlight and share with us her novel
The Bruised Thistle
Blurb:Iseabail
MacNaughton, the orphaned daughter of a Scottish laird, is forced to flee her
home and seek assistance against her lecherous uncle who has usurped her
family's land. When she meets Seumas, a strong and valiant mercenary, she
cannot help wondering if he could be the one to stand with her again her uncle.
But with a price on her head and enemies on all sides, her trust is not
something she can afford to give lightly...
Seumas MacDonell is a man wounded in
body and soul, driven by guilt. When he rescues Iseabail from one of his own
men, he cannot deny the attraction he feels for her, despite the wound that
left him unable to act on it. In the hope of finding redemption for his sins,
he agrees to help Iseabail...but will his feeling for her prove to be the
ultimate obstacle to his salvation? Buy links Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Apple
EXCERPT:
“Methinks ye
wish to place a curse on me with that look of yers… What is yer name?”
Though she
jumped at the sound of his voice, she could not help watching as he poured
water from a pitcher to a bowl sitting on the table beside the fire. Mesmerized
by the motion and the play of firelight over his expansive chest, she did not
notice right away when he stopped his movements. She met his eyes. Her heart
beat faster and that strange heat centered in her belly again.
He quirked a
brow. “I asked ye a question and I expect an answer…or do ye not know how to
act with yer betters?”
Her better?
Though she seethed inside, Iseabail bit her tongue before she gave herself
away. If he but knew how much land her clan called their own...
Nay,
Iseabail. Remember the part you play here.
Lowering her
eyes, she quietly answered him. “Forgive me, m’lord. I forget myself.” Unsure
what else the charade called for, she curtseyed slightly.
“Yer name?”
He still didn’t move. His brows were raised in expectation yet again.
“My name is
Iseabail.”
He nodded,
apparently appeased. “And my name is Seumas.”
His face
settled into a slight smile and he continued with his washing. His muscles
flexed as he rubbed across his chest and down his arms, scrubbing the soap into
lather then rinsing it clean until his skin glistened. When he finished, he
reached for the cloth beside him but turned his face to her.
She exhaled
slowly.
“Come here,
Iseabail.”
His tone was
coaxing, as if speaking to a newly harnessed foal. She took the few steps
toward him. When he reached for her face, she tensed and her mouth went dry. He
was no better than her uncle, after all, and disappointment washed over her.
She glanced down, steeling herself for the imminent assault, before facing him.
His hand stopped just short of her face. Their eyes met and she could tell he
was insulted by his tight lips and furrowed brow.
He wiped her
cheek with a wet finger. “Ye’re filthy,” he said with disgust. “Make use of my
water and be quick about it.” Seumas walked away, rubbing his hands dry.
I have the pleasure of hosting today the lovely author Laureen Linwood. She offers us a few details about her novel:
A Bit Of Heaven On Earth
Back Cover Blurb
When Gavin of Ashgrove and his closest
friend are captured in a fierce battle during the Hundred Years’ War, their
captors demand a hefty ransom from their fathers for their return. Robert is
quickly set free, but Gavin’s father refuses to pay for his son’s release,
leaving him to rot in a squalid French prison. Aided by a sympathetic priest,
he escapes and returns home to England, only to find he has been proclaimed a
bastard and disinherited.
With nowhere to turn Gavin journeys to
Kentwood, where he fostered as a boy, hoping Lord Aldred will take him on as a
knight in his guard. The old warrior is close to death, but he soon realizes
Gavin is his son. Aldred plots to have Gavin inherit Kentwood and marry his
much younger wife, Elizabeth, a famed and opinionated beauty who remains a
virgin after a decade of marriage.
Will the king recognize Lord Aldred’s first
request of a marriage between Elizabeth and Robert, uniting Robert’s estate
with Kentwood—or will the temperamental Edward reward Aldred’s years of service
and honor a dying man’s final request?
Excerpt:
Fear
struck Elizabeth as Gavin’s lips met hers. A
kiss! What was he thinking? She could not kiss him. She didn’t kiss anyone.
Aldred’s feeble attempts over the years flittered into her mind. She stiffened
in his arms.
Her
hesitation did not stop him. His lips slowly brushed against hers. The
sensation was most pleasant. A ripple of heat ran through her. His hand stroked
her hair. Her scalp tingled. Her body relaxed.
Panic
set in suddenly. She tensed again. She didn’t know what to do, how to respond.
Yet respond she did, as if her body were no longer her own. Her knees grew
watery. She gripped Gavin’s shoulders for support. He pulled her closer still.
His arms wrapped firmly around her, drawing her into a muscled chest.
And
still his lips worked their magic, now nipping her lower one, teasing her. He
licked the corner of her mouth and trailed kisses along her jaw. Her head fell
back. A shudder rushed up her spine.
This is heaven.
His
kisses continued along her exposed throat. She began to throb everywhere. Her
fingers kneaded his shoulder. She heard a noise that sounded like a satisfied
growl come from him.
Then
his lips were gone. A shiver passed through her as the gentle breeze blew. She
opened her eyes, only to meet his gazing down at her. He brushed a kiss against
her temple, another one on her cheek. The slow play of his mouth began again as
he caressed her. The throbbing built within her, starting an ache that clamored
for a satisfaction she didn’t know how to satisfy.
Elizabeth
opened her mouth to speak, to ask what was happening. Gavin’s hand, tangled in
her curls, caught them and pulled slightly, forcing her head back. His eyes
glowed, a heat in them that frightened and excited her at the same time.
Then
his mouth was upon hers, gentle no longer. She clung tohim. His tongue
demanded to mate with hers, taking, taking. Again and again he took from her,
even her very breath, till she no longer knew where she ended and he began. His
arms pinned her against him. Her breasts ached. Her bones melted. A dizziness
swept across her. She wanted this to go on. Forever.
A
rooster crowed in the distance. It brought her to her senses. She broke their
embrace.
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