Jaguar Hunt Blog Tour Beginnith! Deadly Fae Review! And My Birthday!

First, a fun review for The Deadly Fae!
12062039Title: The Deadly Fae
Series: The World of Fae #2
Author: Terry Spear
Published: 08-23-13 by Terry Spear
Narrated by: Jeanne Whitehouse
Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle | Audible | B&N
Source: Author
Reviewer: Linda
Rating: 5/5
Thoughts:
I loved it! This is the 2nd book I’ve enjoyed from Terry’s World of Fae series and it’s just as magical a tale as the 1st one! As with the 1st story, this tale would also be perfect for tweens and teens . BUT… it’s not just for the young. I really enjoyed it, too, and I’m in my 60s.
 
The plot was an enchanting and original treasure. Lady Sessily, an ultra-talented dark fae hunter assassin, is on an assignment when she encounters an obstacle to her plan. That obstacle is a tall, dark and handsome cobra fae who believes that he is gallantly protecting a young boy when he interferes with Lady Sessily’s mark. Lady Sessily has to devise a new plan and the same cobra fae is an obstacle again! Then their path cross yet a third time! She can’t seem to stay off his radar! By this time, she doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss him, slap him or kill him! 
 
I almost died laughing at parts.  It’s all good, clean fun.
 
“We’ve already slept together and you made no objection.” 
 
Bottomline: This book is a perfect blend of YA romance, fantasy and unending excitement! It left me amazed, dazed and with a warm fuzzy feeling! Terry’s World of Fae ROCKS!
 
And then it’s my birthday and my son sent me flowers, so I have to show them off:
 
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And, then the blog tour first stops:
 
“We’d like to welcome Terry Spear to TGTBTU today – it’s the first time she’s been featured here. That’s not because we haven’t tried to schedule something for her. She’s that popular with readers. If you’re not quick, you lose out. We finally got lucky!

Her wolf and jaguar shifters are some of the best in romanceland, and if you haven’t read any of her books yet, you need to pick one up soon. They’re that good. Get lost in a world where family is a priority, they take care of each other through everything Ms. Spear throws at them, and love may sometimes come the long away around, but you know it will be worth the wait when it finally hits.

So have some fun with Terry today. Then take a trip to your favorite book store to begin an unexpected journey with sexy heroes and sassy heroines who get growl-y and furry and love to romp through the woods.”

Please drop by and comment, if  you have the chance!

And, on Wicked Scribes: David is here with an exclusive interview never before done and so if you have a chance, please drop by and tell him how hot he is. Then we can get him to do more. Everyone needs a little cheering on, after all!  http://wickedscribes.wordpress.com/2014/05/29/spotlight-on-terry-spears-jaguar-hunt/#comment-18666

Remember all the blogs and interviews I had to write? These are some of them.

Okay, that’s it. This is the LAST day to vote for The Dark Fae, so if you haven’t, and you want to, here is the link one last time. After today, the votes will be tallied.

Back to Her Highland Hero. I need to reach 51,000 today. I was derailed yesterday when my son’s flowers arrived and that meant picture time!!! It doesn’t take much to derail me. :)


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Have a lovely Saturday! Next Tuesday is the release of Jaguar Hunt and I’ll be busy all week with blog tour stuff.

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Thank You, Maya



Today I’m keeping it short and sweet because my literary heart is a little bit sad. Yesterday, one of my favorite writers passed away. Poet Maya Angelou was 86 and in her life had overcome many obstacles. Through it all her writing inspired countless others to do the same. I can’t help but want to be a writer like that, a writer whose words lift up others. When someone like Maya Angelou passes, there is, of course, grief. However, overwhelmingly, there is hope and there is gratefulness. People are grateful to have heard her poetry, to have shared her experience, to have encountered her wisdom rhythmically condensed into stanzas. I’m one of those people, and I collectively feel loss with her other fans. At the same time, I feel a sense that I’ve been blessed in some way to have been inspired by her words.

If I could plant a garden, a garden strewn with literary masterpieces, I’d plant her work next to Hemingway and Hawthorne, two rows over from Poe and across from Twain. I’d water the seeds of her literary glory every day with my tears and the sweat from a writer’s brow, and I’d let the simple sunshine of my daughter’s smile provide enough light for it to grow tall and vibrant and wonderful. And when anyone walked through my garden, they would hear the sweet whispers of the wind drifting through her words, and they would feel blessed, too, for getting a new perspective and for sharing someone else’s reality, if only for a moment. I’d like to plant a garden like that, but I can’t, so I’ll just settle for planting some seeds in the form of a short poem meant to pay homage to all the insights she offered and all the lives she touched.

In the Garden…

In the garden where words play,
Children gasp in delight
As giraffes gracefully nibble whole stanzas
from only the tallest trees.
The world sees an image
but the poet senses it.
She shares it. She  delights in it.
It grows into something unimaginably beautiful,
blooming fields filled with exotic thoughts,
but spawned by only one flower.
A perfect flower. A simple word. Her word.
And now it’s yours if you want it.
It waits with the butterflies and blue jays, with the wrens and the dandelions.
Ready to inspire.
In the garden.

Happy Reading!

Guest: Cate Parke - Dreams Within Dreams + Giveaway!

Welcome Cate! Please tell us about yourself.

Thank you for having me today, Vonda!
I am a writer of historical romances. As a member of Romance Writers of America, Celtic Hearts Romance Writers and Celtic Rose Writers, I write historical romance. I’ve been an avid reader all my life and began writing seriously over eight years ago. In my day job, I am a registered nurse. It has been my privilege to practice pediatric nursing during my entire career. I’m also the wife of a retired U.S. Navy Officer. I've lived and traveled with him for the twenty-six years of his career. With him I've visited England, Canada, Mexico and all but four of the United States. Thanks to him, I've dipped my toes in every body of water that washes America’s shores, including the Gulfs of Mexico and California and even the Arctic Ocean (br-r). I’ve traveled over, under and on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. After many journeys across this great nation and back again, I now live, love and write among the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in lovely Northeast Tennessee.

My blog is called Tuesday’s Child. As it happens, I was born on a Tuesday. I'm convinced my mother made a big mistake, though. I believe she meant to give birth to me on the previous Thursday. According to the old Mother Goose tale, which says Thursday's Child has far to go, my life would have been far better defined. I would also have been born under the sign of the lion, which would have reflected my redheaded temperament much, much better. It's true. What could my mother have been thinking??? (I really had red hair once upon a time. I was born with it and had it all my life--until not long ago...but that’s another story. But it’s true, too.)

According to that dear old Mother Goose tale, I should have been born full of grace. So very sad, but nobody ever, ever attributed that particular virtue to me. After only college class in dance, I was convinced of the unfortunate truth. I can’t sing, either. True. Nobody would ever ask me to do more than hum or add volume to a chorus. Nor can I paint, or even draw a picture. My mother was an artist. Dear Mom didn’t pass along a single shred of her skill. So what does a girl do whose soul demands expression? She becomes a writer to fulfill its burning need. That’s also a true story.


The city of Charleston, South Carolina with its graceful mansions and glorious gardens was my inspiration for Dreams Within Dreams. I lived in the city twice, for several years each, during my husband’s Navy tours of duty. It is one of the oldest cities in the United States with a wealth of history behind it, and I confess it—I’m a pushover for history. On this day after the first of our national holidays, I thought you might enjoy a reading a short historical perspective—a vignette into what you might have expected to find before our nation actually became a nation.
I’m fascinated—really fascinated—by the Revolutionary War. Most of us view any such event from hindsight, including one that occurred so very long ago. It’s tempting to always do so, after all. We’re Americans. We kick ass and take names. America came so close to losing the war and remaining a British colony, though. The outcome wasn’t a foregone conclusion—not before it and certainly not during it. Those men from so long ago took a huge step into the dark. There wasn’t another nation like us anywhere on earth. And we weren’t all in agreement. (We still aren’t for that matter!) We look at the Declaration of Independence now and, wow, our hearts swell with pride. However, the thirteen different colonies viewed themselves quite differently from each of their neighbors. Do you know they very nearly failed to agree on the language—much less get everyone to sign it? Its true. The document’s soaring language inspires us, especially during this part of the year.
Here’s a little blurb from my book to illustrate my point. My heroine’s father, Lord Edward Campbell and step-mother, Anne, have arrived at the home she shares with her husband and children, Oakhurst, a beautiful southern plantation.
Settling into a chair on the verandah, a glass of cold lemonade at hand, Lord Edward passed Richard a parchment tied with a purple silk ribbon. “It is a copy of a document I want you to see. I am to hand it to His Majesty after we arrive in London. It is my fondest hope he will not shoot the messenger.” His lips twisted into a whimsical grin.
Richard unrolled it and felt the blood drain from his face. “Dear God in Heaven,” he breathed.
“What is it?” Alexandra asked, trying to see over the arm he used to flatten the manuscript to the table.
“A moment, my dear.” He continued to read, uttering bits and pieces aloud.
“The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America….”
“We hold these truths to be self-evident….” His voice, thick with emotion, caught in his throat. He turned his head to glance at Lord Edward. “… that all men are created equal….”
“They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….”
“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Richard sat back in his chair, his face pale and serious. He swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand.
“It’s a masterpiece.” He handed the document over to Alexandra and turned to Lord Edward. “It has begun.”
“It began months ago, my boy,” Lord Edward’s voice was grave. “Shots have been fired and battles won and lost for over a year now.”
Alexandra finished reading, and sniffed, her voice as thick as Richard’s had been. “Its perfect language and simple eloquence move me to tears.” She handed the document back to him. “I am fearful now. This document will certainly move His Majesty’s government...and excite their anger to inflict a terrible retribution. God help us all.”
I hope you’ll enjoy reading this book set, not only in Charleston, but also in Georgian London and beautiful, beautiful Inveraray Castle, located on the shores of Loch Fyne at the foot of Scotland’s Highlands.
Dreams Within Dreams: Richard Berkeley has won his treasure, but Lord Thomas Graham is back, and Richard is on his home turf now. Laughable fop or a menacing foe? No matter which it is, Richard will be damned if he lets himself become a Rob Roy for yet another Marquis of Montrose.
War looms on the near horizon, forcing Richard to make difficult choices—support his firmly held principles…or those of his English family. Nothing will be safe, nobody will escape. If means exist to prevent disaster from striking his wife, children, home, and people, he’ll find it. Worse yet, Alexandra believes he is wrong in his choice. Will he lose her if he persists with his choice?
Courage, Alexandra Berkeley’s special gift…is also her curse. Lord Thomas Graham’s presence in their midst frightens her, enrages her, turns her to ice. He lurks in shadows, behind doors…and among strangers paid to accomplish his treacherous bidding. He’ll stop at nothing to ruin the Campbells—nothing, Richard and Alexandra included. He’s struck at Richard—once…twice…three times. How long before his malignant influence knocks at Oakhurst’s great front door? It will not. Not if she can prevent it.
Dreams Within Dreams is a tale that sweeps the reader from the glittering Court of St. James to the elegant drawing rooms of Charlestowne, of the South Carolina colony during the years immediately preceding the Revolutionary War in the South.

Thank you for visiting Richard and Alexandra and me today. I hope you’ll like reading this book even half as much as I loved writing it. One lucky commenter will be the winner of a $10 Amazon gift certificate by a random drawing. (Be sure to leave me your e-mail address so I can contact you!)
Please visit Cate online:
Find Dreams Within Dreams at:
Amazon Buy Link: http://amzn.com/B00KHECBW4
Thank you for being our special guest today, Cate!!

What Are You Doing...?

today?

For our readers in the US...Happy Memorial Day! The meaning of the day sometimes gets lost amid the barbecues and lazy sleeping-in mornings and parades more focused on marching bands and floats. But a quick reminder:

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, which is celebrated every year on the last Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end. (from Wikipedia)


This year, my daughter-in-law's birthday also falls today, so there's that celebration too.

And here in western NY, where the Memorial Day weekend is often marked by cold and rain, we're looking at 0 percent chance of rain and a high in the mid-70s. Another reason to celebrate!

So as you go about your day, whether it will be lazy or crazy, pause a moment to remember our fallen heroes.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Cover Reveal--Jaguar Pride and Fun at Romantic Times Readers Convention-NOLA

I just got back from RT Convention and had a huge stack of things to do. Can you say overwhelmed?

I had Jaguar Pride edits to do, but when this came in, too, I was like, yes! I can do this!  :) 


Isn't he scrumptious??? Both of them!!! I love the black jaguar in the picture also. There are no such things as black cougars, but sometimes someone will say they saw one. This is definitely a black jaguar. And Huntley Anderson. JAG agent, Golden Claws. And he is teamed up with another JAG agent. They're just after poachers, but then find themselves taking care of jaguar shifter cubs, which presents a real problem. :) And Melissa isn't about to be the one holding the cubs while Huntley continues with the mission.
I also had to do a ton of guest blogs and interviews for Jaguar Hunt, releasing June 3.

I promised to do a YA audiobook promo for June. Dog Days of Summer for June a library event. Two audiobooks came in for review. And am still waiting on beta readers' input on A SEAL Wolf for Sale so I can send it in. And tons of more stuff that keeps coming up.

I'm glad to be home, but here I am at the Clawed and Dangerous Kitty Cat Club for jaguar shifters and this guy got into trouble with a shifter, I can just bet.



I have several books I want to write, but for now, I've been working on another Highland book until I get A SEAL Wolf for Sale notes.

Pizza party for readers, reviewers and bloggers.
 View from our room, the curtains reflected off the window so gave it an interesting picture.
 Rainbow reflection in the city.


Have a lovely Saturday! I'm back to work! :)

 Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality."
www.terryspear.com



Weddings and Graduations, oh my! It’s that (expensive) time of year

As you read this, I’m in New York attending my nephew’s weekend wedding.

Summer is a big time for weddings and graduations and even birthdays (the result of trying to stay warm on cold winter nights) but my nephew Nick and his new bride are definitely overachiever.

She graduated from med school on May 9. Nick graduated from med school on May 18. As if that weren’t enough, her bachelorette party is May 21, their wedding rehearsal dinner is on May 22, the wedding is on May 23, and an all-day post-wedding barbecue bash (to which everyone who attended the wedding is invited) is scheduled for May 24. On Sunday the 25th Nick and his undoubtedly exhausted new bride will fly off on their Jamaican honeymoon.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that the bride’s birthday is May 18?

Phew. I am in awe of the sheer nerve and determination (and the amount of money!) it took to pull all this off.

You would think that as a simple guest at these two milestone events (med school graduations and nephew’s wedding) my part would be easier on the pocketbook. Wrong. There’s graduation gifts, the cost of a dress for the rehearsal dinner, another dress for the wedding, the cost of the wedding gift itself, and since I live in Florida, round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations when I get to New York.

And this is just one nephew out of a large Italian family.

My mom keeps telling anyone who’ll listen that when she and dad got married, their wedding reception was at the local Knights of Columbus Hall, and their wedding night was spent in a Holiday Inn. Heck, even for my own wedding, hubby and I decided to tie the knot just two weeks before the event, sent out invitations only to close family, and 35 people showed up. These days, weddings are ‘events.’

Oh, the good old (inexpensive) days!

But don’t get me wrong. I can’t begrudge my nephew his month to celebrate. He’s spent eight long, grueling years in med school. I know how hard he’s worked, and how difficult it’s been. He’s had to put off the wedding until his schooling was done, even though he and his fiancée have been together since high school.

So I’m happy for him. Incredibly proud, and really, really happy that all his dreams are finally coming true.

I’m just dreading the other sixteen nieces and nephews waiting in the wings.

How about you? Ever had one of those “expensive” years?

Leigh


New Release!! My Rebel Highlander

My Rebel Highlander is out and available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobel and Smashwords! It will be in print in a couple of weeks.

Known for his wicked wit, fierce loyalty, and skills in battle, Robert "Rebbie" MacInnis, the Earl of Rebbinglen, loves freedom and has no plans of marrying anytime soon. But when his father, a powerful Scottish marquess, signs a contract betrothing Rebbie to an earl's young daughter, he is furious. If he has to marry, he's determined to choose his own bride, though he has no inkling who he would wish to wed until fate intervenes to remind him of one fair-haired, nameless beauty and the passionate night they spent together years ago. A night forever etched in his memory.

Lady Calla Ferguson, a penniless widow with a young son, is forced to seek employment as her cousin's companion in order to pay her late husband's massive gambling debt. Having been ignored or mistreated most of her life, Calla has become a resourceful survivor who will stop at nothing to get what she wants—safety and security for her son and herself. Wealthy merchant, Claybourne cares little for the money the Earl of Stanbury owed him; he simply wants the earl's beautiful, voluptuous widow and he'll do whatever it takes to get his hands on her, even kidnapping and blackmail.


When Rebbie happens upon Claybourne abducting Calla, he rescues her and hides her in a secluded castle deep in the wild Scottish Highlands. Calla conceals her passionate spirit beneath reserve and duty, along with closely-guarded secrets which, if exposed, could ruin both her life and her son's. Years ago, she lost her heart to a dark-eyed stranger she never thought to see again, but now he's her protector. Rebbie craves another pleasurable night like the one they shared in the past, and she cannot resist the fiery passion that echoes deep in her heart and soul. Soft but strong, Calla sparks within Rebbie a desperate hunger and a need to protect her. But will her secrets tear them apart?

Here's an excerpt from the prologue:
Kinross, Scotland, November 1612

Calla Ferguson, the Countess of Stanbury, tensed when her husband strode into the bedchamber. She had just endured another mortifying examination by his physician.
The silver streaks that ran through the Earl of Stanbury's dark hair glinted in the gray light from the castle's window. When his spiteful, dark gaze swung to her middle-aged maid, Betty, she scurried into the nearby dressing room and softly closed the door.
The earl pinned Calla with a glare. "How long have we been married?" he demanded.
Why would he ask such a thing? He well knew they'd married when she was but sixteen summers. "More than two years."
"And yet I still have no heir. I have little use for a barren wife."
Barren? A chill shook her as the blood drained from her face. Could it be true?
Stanbury advanced on her. Fearing he would strike her, she backed up two steps, but a wall blocked her path. He placed his large hand slackly around her throat. Her heart stopped. Nay! Panicking, certain he would strangle her, she grasped both hands onto his forearm, but his brute strength proved immovable.
"Listen to me." He gave her a shake, his grip on her throat tightening the slightest bit, but not enough to cut off her air.
She froze, praying he wouldn't murder her on the spot.
"Do you see that window?" He pointed. "You're going to find yourself flying out of it one day soon."
The sensation of icy water trickling through her veins stole her breath. Dear God in heaven, he wanted to murder her.
"I'll give you one more month, and if you're not breeding…." With a final glower, he released her and left the room. In the corridor just outside the open door, he stopped one of the chambermaids, then pointed at Calla. "Watch her. She is in such despair, I fear she will fling herself from the window."
Saints! He would murder her and make it look like a suicide. Though her knees threatened to buckle, she forced herself to stand, tears streaming from her eyes. She had to do something.
His footsteps receded down the corridor. Betty hastened out of the dressing room and closed the bedchamber door. "Oh, m'lady! Did he hurt you?" She took Calla's hands.
"Nay." Calla wiped the tears from her eyes, ashamed of her weakness. "Not yet, anyway."
"You must do something," Betty whispered.
"You heard?"
"Aye."
"I cannot run away. I have no money. Where would I go? Where would I live? He would surely find me. I have no family other than my father's cousin, and we are not close. He would turn me over to Stanbury again. What if he's right? What if I am barren? The only reason he married me was to provide him an heir, and if I'm unable to do that…"
Betty shook her head, glanced back at the door, then whispered, "The earl was married twice before, you ken?"
Calla nodded. A harrowing thought chilled her blood. "Did he kill his first two wives?"
"One died of a fever. The other… 'tis a mystery. Even the physician had nay inkling what was wrong with her when she passed. Anyway, I think the problem lies with him… that he cannot get a woman with child."
"Oh." At eighteen summers, Calla realized she was still naïve when it came to certain things. And a man being unable to sire a child was not something people discussed. "He will never admit to that."
"Of course not. 'Tis always the woman's fault," Betty said in a caustic tone, then glared at the door.
Calla clenched her hands together. She couldn't feel more trapped if she were in Stanbury's dungeon. How could her father have given her to this brute just before he'd died? He'd promised that Stanbury would protect her and care for her.
"What am I to do?" she whispered.
"Do you truly want me to tell you?" Betty asked, giving her a look that said she might not like the answer. But as a woman in her fifties with two grown children, Betty would surely ken what to do.
Calla nodded.
Betty drew her to the padded settle by the fireplace, sat very close to her and whispered, "Find a man… a stranger you will never see again, a young virile man, and… couple with him."
"What? Are you mad?" Calla covered her burning face with her hands. How on earth could her maid suggest such a shocking and sinful thing? She could never be unfaithful to her husband. Of course, she had never loved him and almost grew nauseous every time he did his husbandly duty. And he was certainly not faithful to her. Still… 'twas not something a virtuous wife should do. And if she was found out…
"You're advising me to commit adultery?" Calla asked. "'Tis one of the worst sins."
"Do you have a better idea? The man wants you to bear him a child, a son. Otherwise, he has threatened to kill you. 'Tis your decision. I'm not saying 'tis right or moral. But you're a kind young lady, much like a daughter to me, and I don't wish to see you dead." Betty blinked back tears that suddenly glinted in her eyes.
Nor did Calla want to die, but to do what Betty suggested… she could not even imagine it. "Where on earth would I even find a man that I would never see again? Certainly no one in Kinross or the surrounding area. If he were to learn who I am, 'twould be a disaster."
"Aye. He must be a complete stranger. Someone you will never see again. Someone with the earl's coloring, dark hair and dark eyes."
It might be possible. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. "Oh, Betty, I can't believe I'm even considering doing this."
"You and the earl are going to Stirling next week, are you not?"
"Aye."
"Well, then, mayhap you could find a man there. Someone at an inn. If he's staying at an inn, he likely doesn't live in Stirling."
"'Tis true." Calla paced before the fireplace, unable to imagine herself seducing some stranger. Nay, she couldn't do it. She hated Stanbury's touch. Surely, all other men would be just as revolting.
At the same time, the thought of her own husband shoving her out a third floor window chilled her bones. He was so much larger and stronger, she couldn't fight him. And she did want a child, not just to appease Stanbury. She needed a bright spot in her life, someone to love.
"Do you truly think I can accomplish this?" Calla whispered. "What if Stanbury finds out? He'll kill me for a certainty then."
"You must be very careful, m'lady," Betty whispered urgently.
For the rest of the week, the servants eyed Calla curiously. Did they expect her to leap from the tower at any time? He must have told them all she was likely to kill herself. He'd said she had only one more month. She had no choice but to do what Betty suggested. Either that or kill him, but she could never get away with that, even if she could accomplish it. She was not the murdering kind, anyway.
As for notifying the authorities of his threats, he was a powerful earl, for heaven's sake. No one would believe her.
Two nights later, Calla paced in their room at the Silver Bell Coaching Inn in Stirling, her stomach aching with anxiety. Stanbury had left to spend the night gambling with his friends. 'Twas his favorite pastime and naught would drag him away from it. Tomorrow, they would leave for home. Tonight was her only chance. She must take control of her future, if she wanted to have one at all. She'd never been allowed to make any choices of her own. When she was a child, up to age sixteen, her father had made all the important decisions for her. And now, her husband decided everything. No longer.
Betty watched her silently from across the room.
"I will do it tonight," Calla whispered. "I'll go to the inn down the street."
Betty nodded. "Daniel will walk behind you and guard you. And he'll wait outside the inn until you come out again. I explained the situation. He will tell no one."
Daniel Kerns was Betty's husband, a large burly man. Not a guard, but a strong manservant.
Swallowing hard, Calla nodded. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful. You always look beautiful, m'lady."
Calla put on her black woolen cloak and drew the cowl over her head, hiding her flaxen hair and most of her face.
Downstairs, Daniel waited near the inn's exit door. They remained silent as they emerged onto the wet, cobblestone street. A misty rain hissed through the darkness of the chill night. She glanced back to see that he walked a few paces behind.
Her hand trembled as she pushed open the door and entered the Red Lion Inn's common room. The scent of ale and beer permeated the air. Men sat at tables, drinking, playing cards, eating and talking. She lurked in a dark corner, eyeing them. Which men were cruel beasts and which were decent citizens? Who was married and who was single? She didn't wish to get involved with a swine like her husband, nor did she want to cause a man to be unfaithful to his wife.
At one of the tables, a man with black, shoulder-length hair caught her attention. He sat across from a taller, ginger-haired man with his back to her. Even at this distance, she could see that the dark-haired man also had dark brown eyes. But it wasn't his coloring that captured her interest. He was breathtakingly handsome. And young, 'haps in his early twenties. Half Stanbury's age. There was no way to tell if the man in question was virile, but he certainly looked healthy with his broad shoulders, thick arms, and trim waist. His fine quality clothing said he might be a laird, or at least wealthy.
He laughed at something the other man said, and—saints—his smile was the most appealing sight she'd ever seen. He looked friendly and approachable. Not frightening like her husband. Stanbury rarely smiled, but when he did, 'twas smug or calculating.
Clenching her hands so tightly she feared her fingers would fall off, she moved to the alcove by the stairs, and continued to watch the gorgeous stranger. He and his friend downed whisky and played another hand of cards.
She scanned the common room, hoping to see no one she recognized, wondering if another man might better suit. But, nay, her gaze always returned to the attractive dark-haired man. When he won a hand, that captivating grin lit up his face again. She could not tear her gaze away. A painful yearning germinated within her, a need to have him smile at her. What would that feel like?
Heavenly?
Shoving her daft and dreamy imaginings aside, she focused on what was important—her instincts told her sharing a bed with him wouldn't be as dreadful a task as sharing one with Stanbury. Guilt sliced through her at the thought of breaking her sacred marriage vows, but Stanbury had broken them numerous times, she was certain. He made it no secret that he had a mistress. As far as she was concerned, his threat on her life destroyed any vows between them.
After she'd waited an immeasurable time, her palms growing sweatier and her stomach more pained with each moment that passed, the man stood, slapped his friend on the shoulder and meandered toward the stairs… and her. Was he drunk? If so, that might work perfectly. 'Haps he wouldn't even remember her in the morn.
When his compelling, midnight gaze landed on her, she froze and her mouth went dry. What should she say to him?
He gave a slight bow. "Good evening, fair and bonny lass," his deep voice purred. He flashed her a roguish grin, then faced the stairs again.
Say something, Calla!
When he clasped his hand onto the newel post, she placed her hand upon his.
My Rebel Highlander copyright 2014 Vonda Sinclair
Available at AmazonBarnes & Nobel and Smashwords.

Sneak Peek - Her Royal Rendezvous

Just a quick note that I am participating in a multi-author charity anthology, LOVE IS..., that is scheduled to be released late summer. I'm excited because the short story I am contributing is set in the world of my Her Royal Romance series. Her Royal Rendezvous features Tony, a royal bodyguard who appears in both Her Royal Masquerade and Her Royal Bodyguard. The heroine, Liliana, is not only the sister of Nardo Gullotti,the hero of book 3, Her Royal Mistake, but a cousin of Vittorio's, the hero of book 1.

I'll share more details, cover, authors, charity, and price as they become available, but wanted to share the blurb and a short excerpt so you can get a quick peek and look for more news later on.

Blurb:

Love is…
reunited lovers risking their hearts for a second chance.

Two years ago, Liliana Gullotti broke off her engagement to Tony Barone, head of royal security, because his job took over his life and left no time for her. But when she sees him at the prince’s wedding reception, she knows she’s never gotten over him. And she agrees to meet him at their old rendezvous spot one last time.

Tony never stopped loving Lil, but has honored her request to stay away from her. But once she approaches him at her cousin’s wedding, all bets are off. He’ll do whatever he can to show the sexy physician she means the world to him. And that a single rendezvous will never be enough.


Excerpt:

“Hello, Tony.”

He froze as the rich, silky voice flowed over him. He swallowed and turned to face her for the first time in two years. “Lil.”

Liliana Gullotti looked even more beautiful than he remembered. Her wavy dark hair curled around her bare shoulders and he knew it would slip like silk through his fingers. Intelligent eyes studied him, probably wondering if he had changed since the last time they’d been together. Her sensuous lips were slicked with the same deep red as her dress. She must have been wearing extremely high heels because the top of her head actually reached his chin.

“Still working?” She stepped up beside him and nudged his arm gently with her shoulder. Her scent enveloped him, wound around his heart and squeezed. “What a surprise.”

“It’s my job,” he replied with a heavy sigh.

“I’m not here to pick a fight,” she said smoothly. “It would have been rude not to say hello.”

“One wouldn’t want to be rude,” he mumbled. He’d been around royalty long enough to recognize that regal tone they must be taught from the cradle.

“Don’t be that way. I didn’t mean that how it sounded.” She placed a hand lightly on his arm and it seared him through his tuxedo jacket. She looked up at him through long lashes framing dark chocolate eyes. “It’s good to see you, Tony.”

He didn’t want to fight with her either. “You’re looking good, Lil.”

“You too.” Her gaze swept him up and down. “But then you always looked as good in a tux as you did a pair of jeans.”

He chuckled. She’d always said she liked him best in a pair of jeans, which he rarely had the chance to wear. He breathed in Lil’s scent again, sharp and sexy, and his body reacted, hardening, aching. For her. Always for her.

“How are things at the hospital?” he asked, to keep her talking. Keep her beside him. “You like it there?”

She dropped her hand. “Yeah. It’s a lot busier, of course. Life flies by much faster in the ER than at the palace.”

Tony nodded. He dragged his eyes away from her to do a sweep of the ballroom. Working. Always working. His job was the only thing of which he could be certain. He had no idea what to say to her now. Why she’d felt the need to approach him after two years. What she wanted him to say. What she wanted him to do.

All he knew was that he wanted to gather her into his arms and never let her go.

He must have been silent for too long. She cleared her throat and stepped away. “Well, it was good to see you, Tony.”

“The newlyweds are scheduled to leave in less than an hour and then I’m off duty,” he said, the words rushing out of his mouth.

She lifted a brow. “Oh?”

“Meet me in the garden at midnight.” His voice sounded ragged even to his own ears.

“Tony.” Her soft sigh sounded sad. “No. There’s no point.”

He caught her hand when she turned to leave him. Again. “To talk. To catch up.”

“Well…”

His sudden sense of desperation was unexpected, but it gripped him by the throat. “I’ve missed you, Lil.”

She stiffened then. When she tugged her hand away, he let her fingers slip through his. “Good-bye, Antonio.” She cupped his face. Her lips brushed his cheek so lightly he might have imagined it. “Be happy.”

Tony stood there at the edge of the ballroom and watched the woman he loved walk away. With a clench in his chest, he realized he was tired of standing on the sidelines. Tired of merely watching. This time he wouldn’t let her go without a fight.


Can't wait until I have more to share with you about the anthology!

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Jaguar Hunt Giveaways and Reduced Price!

Jaguar Hunt-300 (487x800)
An agent and a jaguar-shifter chase trouble, and each other, through the jungles of Belize…  Agent Tammy Anderson has a reputation: she prefers to work alone. So when she’s paired up on a mission with jaguar-shifter David Patterson—who’s only recently been released from jail—to say she’s less than thrilled is a understatement. Until she realizes that this sexy agent has what it takes…
Soon, what started as an “easy” mission to locate a missing jaguar takes the pair to Belize, where they’re chasing down two renegade teen shifters who know more than they’re telling. As the action heats up, can they keep their minds on the job and off of each other?
 
Giveaway dates: Apr 11 – May 16, 2014
15 copies available, 343 people requesting
Countries available: US and CA

Jaguar Hunt releases Jun 3, but the print version is on a sale price of $5.05, nearly a $3 savings for this preorder. So if you want it, now’s the time to get it!

Two deadly predators…
As a feline Enforcer, Tammy Anderson has one objective: locate the missing jaguar and return it to the States. She doesn’t have time for distractions, and she definitely doesn’t have time for sexy shifters with more muscles than sense.

One hot mission…
Everyone and their brother has warned JAG agent David Patterson that Tammy is Ms. Hands-Off…which only makes him more determined to get very hands-on. But things heat up in the steamy jungles of Belize and their simple mission gets a whole lot more complicated. Now it’s going to take everything David’s got to protect the gorgeous she-cat who somehow managed to claw her way past his defenses…and into his heart.

Praise for A Seal Wolf Christmas:
“A pulse-pounding ride.” —Publishers Weekly
“Thrilling…edge-of-your-seat action.” —RT Book Reviews
Praise for Jaguar Fever:
“A fantastic shifter romance. I loved reading this amazing book.” —Imagine a World
“Readers will enjoy this thrilling tale as love and danger collide.” —Midwest Book Review
http://www.amazon.com/Jaguar-Hunt-Heart-Terry-Spear/dp/1402266987/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1397822340&sr=8-1