Friday, July 29, 2016

Gambler's Choice by @LNightingale #BookSpotlight



Gambler’s Choice
By Linda Nightingale

novel about people who love horses…
From The Wild Rose Press
Cover Artist:  Debbie Taylor
Editor: Mary Harmony

Tagline:   An English aristocrat and a Virginia socialite go head-to-head—and feet-to-feet—in a battle for ownership of a very special horse.

Keywords:  Horses, 3-day Eventing, equine, equestrian, horse lovers, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, gothic, books, writing, reading, new releases, The Wild Rose Press, horse books

Rating:  Spicy
Digital Price:  $4.99
Print Price:  TBA



Blurb:
Becca McQuaid came to England to find the perfect horse but instead met a darkly mysterious challenge in Austen Heath, Baron of Hampton. She’s determined to buy Austen’s stallion Gambler’s Choice. He’s determined not to sell, but the rivals are thrown together by an accident that leaves Austen with a broken leg and the threat he’ll never ride again.

Austen Heath has the title, heritage and manor house…but not the fortune. Becca is wealthy. Her charms are irresistible, but he believes she’s shopping for a Ladyship to go with her money. He has another reason to hold the sexy blonde at arms’ length—the unexplained disappearance of an old friend everyone thinks was his lover. When her body is discovered on his property, he becomes a suspect in her murder.

Excerpt:

Rebecca McQuaid was in England for one reason.
To find the perfect match.
Size was important. Becca was a tall girl. Money was of no consequence whatsoever. Becca was a wealthy girl. Heart mattered most. He must have the heart to go the distance. She dreamed of a partnership that would last a lifetime. But looks did rank quite high on her list of priorities.
“I simply can’t ride an ugly horse. That would be like dating an ugly man.” Tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder, she laughed and winked at her friend.
Meg shot her a frown, her tone accusing Becca of being an uncivilized colonist. “Rebecca McQuaid, you say the damnedest things.”
An appreciative chuckle turned her around to squint into the sun. A tall, elegant, dark figure of a man on a magnificent horse caught her imagination mid-stride. She couldn’t see the rider’s face, but she knew he’d overheard the exchange with her friend. He saluted her with a tap of his whip to the brim of his hat as he rode past. Excitement capered over her, and she smiled. The horse’s muscled, blood bay rump glistened. The stallion was sixteen-two hands, fit and impeccably groomed.
“Nice buns. That one’s good-looking enough for me.” She elbowed her friend. “Who is it?”
Meg shaded her eyes. “Gambler’s Choice and Austen Heath. Both horse and rider satisfy your criteria, my dear girl.”
“The horse is handsome.” She wished she had gotten a better look at the bay, but he was a mahogany blaze in the morning sun. “Are you telling me the rider is?”
“That’s the general consensus, but Austen hides in that rambling, dark mansion of his.” Meg studied the pair picking up a trot along the arena. “Fierce competitors. Hard to beat at Intermediate. We’ll see how they handle Advanced.”
 “An Advanced horse?” Becca wriggled her shoulders. “I’m in the market.”
“Look elsewhere.” Meg’s finger jutted at Becca’s nose. “Austen won’t sell Gambler for love or money. Guaranteed. Not even for the kind of money you’re willing to spend.”
“Meggie.” She linked arms with her friend. “Everything has a price.”
Meg balked like a donkey. “You’re in a different world, princess.”
“Well, not everything. Love doesn’t have a price.” Pain wrenched her heart as a memory of the breakup with Daniel flashed through her mind. The hurt was too fresh to even think of another man. “But I’m not in the market for love.”
Becca had found that the best way to protect her heart was to play spoiled little rich girl. She had that part down pat, and, as Winston Churchill had said, There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. She was looking for a horse to fall in love with and help mend her broken heart.




About Linda:

Born in South Carolina, Linda has lived in England, Canada, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta and Houston.  She’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer, having bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for many years.

Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award.   She is the mother of two wonderful sons, a retired legal assistant, member of the Houston Symphony League, and enjoys events with her car club.  Among her favorite things are her snazzy black convertible and her parlor grand piano.  She loves to dress up and host formal dinner parties.

Web Site:  http://www.lindanightingale.com – Visit and look around. There’s a free continuing vampire story.
Blog:  https://lindanightingale.wordpress.com/ - Lots of interesting guests & prizes


Friday, July 22, 2016

Summer Palace #TWRP Summer Treats & Reads #BlogHop

The Wild Rose Press Authors have joined together to bring you the Summer Treats & Reads Blog Hop! From July 22-30, check out a variety of blogs for summer-themed posts and great prizes! And don't forget to enter the Grand Prize - 
a Kindle Fire donated by The Wild Rose Press! 

For many people, summer is a time for travel! Exotic locations, historical destinations, a relaxing getaway... Summer vacations can be taken anywhere. As for vacation destinations, I highly recommend Europe! Years ago, my husband and I visited friends living in Germany where we spent two wonderful weeks touring the town and countryside. My favorites places were, of course, the castles and palaces!

For this Summer Treat post, let me show you the Summer Home of the Bamberg Prince-Bishops...


Located in Memmelsdorf, the Schloss Seehof was built in 1687 as a hunting lodge and summer residence for Prince-Bishop Marquard Sebastian Schenk von Stauffenberg.

The palace gate.


Beside the Seehof Palace gate is the area which housed the guard's men and stables. It's now converted into a restaurant. My husband and I ate breakfast here. I was grateful for all those German language lessons I took in high school assisting me with ordering our Fruhstuck! 


The Seehof Palace is an enclosed four-wing structure with corner towers giving the impression of a fortress. It's also known as "Marquandsburg" or Marquand's Fortress. 


Perhaps what's best known about this palace is the fountains. 
It's an interesting feature that attracts many visitors.


The baroque-styled water garden fountains are a splendid sight!


The first day we arrived at Seehof Palace, the place was closed to tourists, so we spent some time simply wandering about the area, absorbing the atmosphere and history. We sat on a bench in the inner garden, wondering what life was like living here in a palace that served as a Summer Home.

The next day when we returned, we had the opportunity to take a tour. The guide began the tour speaking German (as expected!) and we were quite happy to listen to as much as we could understand. At the time, I knew more German than my husband, so I tried to translate as much as I could, but back then I was still just a beginner. Just viewing the magnificent beauty of the rooms was enough to leave us in awe. We would've been content with just that much.

However, there was an elderly German couple on the tour along with us and when they heard me whispering my horribly rough translations, they were so generous to ask the tour guide if she could speak English for the rest of the tour. We were so surprised and incredibly grateful, thanking them numerous times for their kindness. The couple explained that they've been on this same tour around five times and it would be nice to brush up on their English. So, the tour was given by both the tour guide and the elderly couple who added exceptional knowledge of the palace's history.

They told us that Schloss Seehof served as the childhood summer vacation home for Marie Antoinette and her family. There's a family portrait of her and her siblings in one of the ornately decorated rooms. As well as portraits of her mother, Marie Theresa of Habsburg, and her father, the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis I. 


  
Along with the tour of the palace and a view of the fountains, we also walked along the walking trails and shrubbery mazes. There were dozens of stone figures to admire and benches placed strategically to relax. 






The extensive grounds are incredibly beautiful. We met many people taking their daily strolls along the paths. And there was much wildlife in the fish ponds along the walking trails.









No flash photography was allowed inside the palace when we visited, so I couldn't take any photos of the inside, but I did find a site where you can go on a virtual tour of the palace so you can experience the incredible beauty of the artwork and architecture. I do remember in the "White Hall" we had to wear slippers so as not to damage the floor with our shoes. The ceiling was breathtakingly gorgeous!

I hope you enjoyed learning about a unique Summer Vacation Home! Now, it's time for the prizes! :)

For this blog hop, I'm giving away a copy of The Witch's Thief. Although the majority of the book takes place in England, the first chapter is set in Bavaria, Germany, so I thought it was an appropriate choice for a prize! :)
 




To save her sister's life, Julia Grey seeks a spell hidden somewhere within Merriweather Manor. Her position as a lady's companion affords her the freedom to search the house. But time is running out. The necromancer she's bargained with is growing impatient. And an unexpected appearance of a man from her past makes matters worse in an already complicated situation.

Basil Merriweather returns to England after ten years abroad to discover his childhood sweetheart living in his home. But, he's no longer the carefree man of his youth and she's hiding something--deadly secrets Basil vows to uncover even as he hides a dark secret of his own.

While neither Basil nor Julia will trust in the other, their hearts speak a truer language. In a grand attempt to save Julia's sister and Basil's life, the two must finally confess sinister truths. Will their admissions help or hinder any future they may have together? Or will the necromancer destroy all in a vile attempt at revenge?






a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the other blogs on this hop 
for chances to win more prizes!

The Pirate's Lady #CoverReveal

I am super excited to share the cover of my newest romance, my historical romance debut, The Pirate's Lady!



A little about the book:


Captain Marco Dante was captured and sentenced to hang two years ago, but he escaped before his punishment was carried out. Now he's come back to the woman whose memory kept him alive those long months in prison. Arianne had been his grand passion, but he failed to see how much she meant to him until it was too late. Can he recapture her heart? Or has he lost her forever?

Arianne never imagined she’d see her notorious pirate lover again. Though her heart sings with joy at his return, she knows he hasn't come back for her but for the treasure he left behind. She agrees to help him find it, but can her heart withstand one more adventure with him?

Coming Soon! 

Join my newsletter to be the first to hear the latest news about both my historical & paranormal books and 
join contests to win great prizes! 

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Blood Moon by Angela Roquet #BigBookGiveaway #BookSpotlight

Enter the Big Book Giveaway for a chance to WIN
Blood Moon by Angela Roquet

Welcome to SPERO HEIGHTS...

a little town where supernaturals who have lost their bump in the night go to recover. Tucked in the wooded Ozark Mountains, the humans are rarely cause for concern, but the citizens of Spero Heights have enough past to go around.

Zelda, once a powerful witch doctor, lost everything in a tragic accident. She now lives a more humble life, patching up werewolves and putting them to work in her pub, the Crimson Moon, until a neighboring pack objects and begins a sabotage campaign against her.

Logan, the little brother of a council member, breaks away from his sister’s shadow to pursue the elusive and mysterious Zelda. But can he break through her protective shell before the Raymore Clan runs her out of town?


Check out the other titles available in this giveaway at Girl Who Reads




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Favorite Books to Read #IntAuthorsDay Blog Hop

I've been an avid reader since I was 10 years-old when my mom bought me a stack of Sweet Valley Twins books to read during summer vacation. I enjoyed reading before that, but those books were the first to bring out the bookaholic in me. I devoured them!

And I kept reading...and reading...and reading.

When I was a teenager, I picked up one of my mom's romances and fell in love with books all over again. Throughout the years, I've collected a large amount of books and I have an extensive "keeper" shelf with books that I like to re-read again and again. Since I could write a whole book with that list, I'll just share a small selection of some of my favorite books here.

Working for over 12 years as a bookseller, I've recommended these titles to countless customers who've come back to tell me how glad they were for my suggestions. If you get a chance, give these books a try.

And please, please, please, when you're finished reading a book (any book at all!), if you enjoyed it, give the author of that book some love and write a review. Post it on places such as Amazon, Goodreads, your blog, or anywhere else appropriate. It doesn't have to be a lengthy dissertation, just a quick note about how much you enjoyed the book and why. Authors rely on readers to spread the word about their books. They need readers like you! After all, we wouldn't have some of these awesome books if authors didn't write them! Writing reviews is some of the best thanks an author can get!



A special thanks to Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay for hosting this event. 
Check out her reviews and blog posts on b00kr3vi3ws. 


The Devil's Lady by Deborah Simmons 
 (with a brand new cover!)

Bid by King Edward to marry one of his knights, Aisley de Laci hopes to avoid the altar by choosing Baron Montmorency. 'Tis a union she is certain none will endorse, especially the baron, who is rumored to practice the dark arts from his isolated keep.

Renowned in battle, the Red Knight has secluded himself at Dunmurrow for reasons of his own. And he does not want a wife, no matter how wealthy and beautiful she might be. But even he cannot defy the king's order, and what comes to him, he takes—and holds.

Although Aisely refuses to believe the tales that make Montmorency more myth than mortal, she begins to wonder whether he does possess mysterious powers. How else to explain her own growing feelings for her husband, a man so shrouded in shadow she has never seen his face?

Was she under a spell or truly the Devil's Lady?




My Lady's Dare by Gayle Wilson 


Valentine Sinclair, the Earl of Dare, was an enigma, even to those who professed to know him well. For while his morals seemed suspect and his leisure pursuits as reckless as any of his well-heeled peers', there was something lurking beneath the facade of good looks, wit and charm that he so skillfully hid behind.

Or so it had seemed, until the night Dare wagered a small fortune for a French gambler's English mistress, and won. Now, with the stunning widow installed at his town house, even the Matchmaking Mamas of the ton were doubting that the Earl of Dare would ever recover his good name, for it appeared that the infamous Mrs. Carstairs was destined to become a Sinclair Bride.







The Rogue by Claire Delacroix

Dear Reader:

Seductive and mysterious, Merlyn was the laird of Ravensmuir — never had a man so stirred my body and soul. I gave myself to him — willingly, trustingly, passionately — and we soon wed. Then a horrible revelation emerged, shattering my innocence and my marriage...

Five years later, Merlyn returned to my doorstep, desperate for my help. The scoundrel swore he was haunted by memories of me, that a treasure locked in Ravensmuir could clear his name. Yet I could not surrender to his will again. Now he is said to be murdered and Ravensmuir has fallen into my hands.

But even as I cross the threshold of this cursed keep, I hear his whisper in the darkness, feel his caress in the night, and I know that Merlyn has told me but part of his tale. Should I do as is right and expose his lair? Or dare I trust my alluring but deceptive spouse - the rogue who destroyed my heart?

— Ysabella



This Is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland

Gillian of Warewick knows no other treatment than the terrible physical and mental abuse issued by her father. When he arranges a match for Gillian with Christopher of Blackmour, she is fearful: Blackmour is rumored to be an evil sorcerer. When Gillian meets him, he proves to be far more of a man than her father is, yet he is unwilling to be a lover to Gillian. She finds that Blackmour has as many psychological scars to heal as she has physical scars.








Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . .

The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.  




 
AMAZON KINDLE








Frederica by Georgette Heyer

Frederica Merriville and her three siblings have come to London for the glittering social season, in order to give young and beautiful Charis a chance to make a good marriage. Frederica herself, a witty charmer, believes herself happily beyond marriageable age -- she is twenty-four, after all. But when they are introduced to London society by their distant "cousin" Lord Alverstoke, Frederica is amazed to find herself, unknowingly, falling in love. Likewise, Alverstoke, a cold aristocrat, finds himself thoroughly beguiled by Frederica and her young rascal brothers.












As a PRIZE for Celebrating
International Authors' Day
I'm giving away one of my favorite books written by AJ Krafton. 

This stunning book hooked me with its darkly poetic writing. You can read the review I posted here.

Haunted by a crushing fear of death, a young Victorian woman discovers the secret of eternal youth--she must surrender her life to attain it, and steal heartbeats to keep it.

In 1860 Surrey, a young woman has only one occupation: to marry. Senza Fyne is beautiful, intelligent, and lacks neither wealth nor connections. Finding a husband shouldn't be difficult, not when she has her entire life before her. But it's not life that preoccupies her thoughts. It's death--and that shadowy spectre haunts her every step.

So does Mr. Knell. Heart-thumpingly attractive, obviously eligible--he'd be her perfect match if only he wasn't so macabre. All his talk about death, all that teasing about knowing how to avoid it...

When her mother arranges a courtship with another man, Senza is desperate for escape from a dull prescripted destiny. Impulsively, she takes Knell up on his offer. He casts a spell that frees her from the cruelty of time and the threat of death--but at a steep price. In order to maintain eternal youth, she must feed on the heartbeats of others.

From the posh London season to the back alleys of Whitechapel, across the Channel, across the Pond, across the seas of Time...

How far will Senza Fyne go to avoid Death?



Be sure to check out the other posts on this Blog Hop
for Great Prizes!