A bookseller turned romance author. I'm a writer mom with 4 kids and 2 furbabies and an over-active imagination. Forever dreaming of happily-ever-after.
The Ghost of Morley Manor is on SALE for a LIMITED TIME!
When Alice Worthington's father dies, he leaves Morley Manor and all his debt to her and her younger brother. Desperate to find a way to pay the creditors, Alice performs a seance to contact the spirit of the last man to have seen the jewels rumored to be hidden within her home.
Sir Nicholas, a two-hundred-year-old roguish ghost, strikes a bargain with Alice. Find his earthly remains and bury them in consecrated ground. Only then will he reveal the location of the hidden jewels. Alice agrees not knowing when the time comes, she must decide between saving her home or saving the would of the charming ghost who haunts Morley Manor.
Nothing could shock me more than being accosted by highwaymen on our way home from a neighbor's house party.
My dear husband, Charles, looked as stunned as I when the first shouts of alarm broke the monotonous silence that had stretched between us. It had been a long and tiring evening spent under his sister's ever-present glare, and I had been thankful such an event had ended.
I never imagined my night was far from over.
After the initial shouts from our driver, the carriage sped up, rocking us side to side with each bump in the road. I dared hope we might outrun them, but after a few pistol shots, our carriage slowed its pace, coming to a stop. The door flung open with a violence that left me trembling.
Charles held tight to my hand, and I returned his grip. What did these demons want? Money? Jewels? They could have the entire carriage if they so desired, but I prayed they would bring us no harm. Every horror story or bit of gossip I'd ever been exposed to rushed through my mind with the speed of a falling star. I barely breathed for fear of another story being added to that growing list.
This time ours.
A pistol presented itself within inches of my nose, the moonlight glistening off the polished metal. I stared into the barrel, watching the man's finger twitching on the trigger, pulling it back. Oh, so slowly.
"Take what you want." Charles's deep voice boomed above my ear. "Leave my wife be, and you may have all that you wish."
A lusty laugh emerged from the darkness of the night. I failed to see our robber's face, for a handkerchief masked his features, but the stale odor of ale and onions hovered around him like a musty cloud.
"It's your lady wife I've come fer, yer lordship."
When Alice Worthington’s father dies, he leaves Morley Manor and all his debt to her and her younger brother. Desperate to find a way to pay the creditors, Alice performs a séance to contact the spirit of the last man to have seen the jewels rumored to be hidden within her home.
Sir Nicholas, a two-hundred-year-old roguish ghost, strikes a bargain with Alice. Find his earthly remains and bury them in consecrated ground. Only then will he reveal the location of the hidden jewels. Alice agrees not knowing when the time comes, she must decide between saving her home or saving the soul of the charming ghost who haunts Morley Manor.
Excerpt:
As my eyelids drifted down, I heard a noise.
At first, I disregarded it. There were often noises within Morley Manor that seemed unexplainable. I usually surmised the noises came from the wind, rattling the casements, or perhaps mice scurrying about, seeking a spare bit of crumb.
But, when the noise repeated itself, I had the distinct impression that I was not alone.
Those were footsteps. Footsteps nearing my bed…
It’s nothing, I chastised myself, gripping the coverlet. The wind… merely the wind.
But this wind had a solid cadence and the second thought that pervaded my sleep fogged brain was perhaps Morley Manor had an intruder. It was possible someone might have heard of our misfortune and had come to take advantage. To steal anything of value that might remain in our destitute house.
I reached for the table beside my bed, searching blindly for anything I might obtain as a weapon. I touched the cold leather binding of a book, a porcelain miniature figurine, and a candle encased in its brass holder. I wrapped my fingers around the candlestick, gripping it tightly as I peeked over the coverlets.
My room was empty.
I pushed the coverlets aside and sat up fully to better view my chambers in the dim light of the dying fire. The heat from the blaze was gone. I noticed my breath clouding before my face. I sat there quite a while, listening with bated breath for the noises I had previously heard, but there were none.
“I must have been dreaming,” I muttered aloud.
“Was I among those dreams, my sweet?” A voice spoke loudly from my left. My heart drummed into my throat, and I jerked to face my intruder.
A man dressed in 15th century garb of shirt, doublet and hose sat stretched in the chair beside my bed with his booted feet propped on another table. He flicked idly at the tassel on his hat.
“At one time, I might have enjoyed partaking of that delectable… Good God! Can you hear me?”
He had lifted his head when I made a small gurgling sound in the back of my throat. At the sight of me staring at him, he straightened, his feet dropping through the table and onto the floor.
Through the table…
A scream tore into the night, a high-pitched, frightening sound that sent shivers coursing down my spine. I scrambled back against the headboard of my bed, gripping my candlestick and gasping for breath. As I struggled to breathe, I realized those were my chilling screams.
When Alice Worthington’s father dies, he leaves Morley Manor and all his debt to her and her younger brother. Desperate to find a way to pay the creditors, Alice performs a séance to contact the spirit of the last man to have seen the jewels rumored to be hidden within her home.
Sir Nicholas, a two-hundred-year-old roguish ghost, strikes a bargain with Alice. Find his earthly remains and bury them in consecrated ground. Only then will he reveal the location of the hidden jewels. Alice agrees not knowing when the time comes, she must decide between saving her home or saving the soul of the charming ghost who haunts Morley Manor.
On the Night of the Seventh Moon by Victoria Holt My rating: 4 of 5 stars For generations, Victoria Holt has dazzled and entertained millions of readers with her spine-tingling novels of romantic suspense. On the Night of the Seventh Moon is one of her most evocative, magical, and chilling. Come take a journey into a dark and shadowy forest where nothing is as it seems… On the night of the seventh moon, according to ancient Black Forest legend, Loke, the god of mischief, is abroad in the world. It is a night for singing and dancing. And it is a night for love. Helena Trant was enchanted by everything she found in the Black Forest—its people, its mysterious castles, its legends and lore. Especially its legends of love. Until the day she started to live one of them and the enchantment turned suddenly into a terrifying nightmare…. My Review This was an unusual story that surprised me. The story about Helena Trant and written in her point of view. One day after getting separated from her classmates, she finds a man walking in the misty forest of Germany. The meeting is memorable and she doesn't forget him even after she travels back to England to live with her two aunts. When she's visited by some relatives on her mother's side, they invite her back to Germany to stay with them. During a festival on the night of the seventh moon, she meets the man again. His name is Maximilian. They discover since the first night they met, they've fallen in love with each other. This is insta-love at its finest. They marry and spend a few glorious days together. Eventually, Maximilian has to go back to his father to explain their situation. Helena's relatives come to get her and the next morning she awakes to fina a doctor explaining that she's been viciously attacked and has been given treatment that's basically caused her to live in a dreamworld for a few days. Her relatives and the doctor try to convince her that she was never married, there is no Maximilian and everything that she has experienced recently has all been a dream to protect her sanity from the horrible truth. It was an unusual story. But told very well. As the reader, even I was confused as to what was real and what wasn't. Was Maximilian real or merely a figment of Helena's imagination? The story progresses, but I don't want to give away any spoilers. She goes back to live with her aunts, trying to go on with her life. There are many twists and turns that eventually lead her back to Germany to discover the truth. It was a gripping and suspenseful tale that left me turning the pages to discover the truth of Helena's story. The mystery of those few days haunted her for several years. I was so happy when she finally discovered the truth and everything was revealed! The story was well-written and satisfying. Although it was more mystery than romance, I enjoyed every moment of it. I recommend it to anyone who likes to read gothic romantic mysteries. View all my reviews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Favel Farrington meets Roc Pendorric on the idyllic Mediterranean island of Capri, where she was raised and lives with her father. Roc sweeps her off her feet, taking her from her home by an emerald sea to the ancient family home of the Pendorrics, in Cornwall. His sister and her family await them with open arms, welcoming young Favel. She is the much anticipated Bride of Pendorric, a name that amuses and flatters her. The castle is beautiful in its way, but the atmosphere is foreboding. Roc's twin nieces begin watching her carefully; even the stones in the courtyard seem to have eyes. On the walls hang portraits of two other Brides of Pendorric--one of them Roc's mother--who died both young and tragically. Favel's fear increases as Roc seems to be growing more and more distant. Has her courtship and marriage been just a deception? Soon Favel can no longer dismiss as accidents the strange things happening to her. Someone is trying to kill her and she must confront the very real dangers that surround her. My Review I think this might be one of my favorite Victoria Holt novels. Bride of Pendorric is a gripping romantic suspense. Favel Farrington falls hopelessly in love with Roc Pendorric when he arrives for a visit on her Mediterranean island home. It is a compulsive and quick courtship, but Favel knows he is the one for her and they marry. Shortly after, tragedy strikes, but Roc whisks Favel away to his home in Cornwall where he introduces his new Bride of Pendorric to his family. Meeting the family, the neighbors and the villagers would be overwhelming enough, but Favel is still coming to understand her new life as a married woman to a man who is still mostly a stranger to her. As she learns about her husband and the legends surrounding her new home, she begins to wonder if she made a mistake. Is Roc the man she fell in love with or did he have ulterior motives to marrying her? With each page, the danger escalates as it becomes increasingly evident that Favel's life is in danger. Is it the ghost that is said to haunt the house or is it someone much more closer to her? There is so much in this story that I don't want to give away any spoilers. The author wove the elements of this gothic mystery superbly. It had everything necessary to instill a sense of foreboding and fear within the reader. I had to turn the pages faster to find out what happened next. And by the climax, I had a list of suspects, each with a clear motive, but I was completely surprised by the ending. The book was a pleasure to read! I can see why other readers have referred to this as a timeless classic. If you like books like Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, then you'll be sure to enjoy Bride of Pendorric.
Welcome to fellow Wild Rose Press author, Linda Nightingale, to my blog today for the release of her newest book, Morgan D'Arcy: A Vampire Rhapsody!
The Birth of Morgan D’Arcy
My favorite of the heroes in my books is probably
Morgan.He is charming, svelte, and
handsome.What’s not to like?He’s a vampire.What’s that little tidbit amongst friends?
I started writing Sinner’s
Opera, the book of my heart and Morgan’s first starring role, in 1992.I’d then titled my masterpiece of wonderment The Vampyre Effect because, in my
vampire mythos, they are viral mutations of human DNA.The blood-borne pathogens, transferred in a
ritual blood exchange, attack the nucleus of the cell, making mortals immortal
overnight.
This first book grew to over 1,000 pages.Like a good reporter, I followed by subject
everywhere but the bathroom!Then I
waited outside.(Kidding, vampires don’t
go to the loo).So, sadly, I had to trim the less exciting
details from the book to bring it down to publishing size.Sinner’s
Opera was published in 2014.
Today!!! Morgan
D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody is being released by The Wild Rose Press.Did I mention I love my editor?It’s from the Black Rose Line and is
available at the usual channels, including TWRP website.Rhapsody
is a collection of short stories and a novella, detailing Morgan’s journey
through the centuries in search of the woman of his dreams.
Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre
Rhapsody
By Linda Nightingale
From The Wild Rose Press
Cover Artist:Debbie Taylor
Editor: Callie Lynn
Wolfe
A titled
lord, concert pianist, and … vampire, Morgan D’Arcy has everything he
wants…except what he most desires…the woman of his dreams—the search is on.
Blurb:
The greatest enemy of a vampire
is boredom. Four centuries of existence have taught Lord Morgan Gabriel D'Arcy
to fear nothing and no one. Humans and their weapons have little chance against
his preternatural speed and arcane powers. Vampires are viral mutations of
human DNA. Still, the Vampyre code requires secrecy, and he has learned to hide
his nature from the world. The lure of mortality, of a life in the sun, puts
Morgan again and again at the mercy of calculating human women though they fail
to consider his charm and determination into the equation. However, even
grooming a future bride from infancy proves to be fraught with heartbreak. And
second chances are not always what they seem unless... you are Morgan.
Immortality and beauty, aren’t they grand?
“…Morgan…is a tour de force of egotism, wit,
sensuality, and talent…” ~Author Toni V. Sweeney “Morgan
D’Arcy is a class act and the most arresting vampire I’ve ever encountered in
literature or films.” ~ Historical and Paranormal Romance Author Beth
Trissel
Ω
Excerpt:
Art
is passion.
Each of us, at some time, wishes to
stand naked in passion’s temple and face deepest, darkest desire—to be an
innocent victim to lust.I knew all
about lust.Lust.Bloodlust.In the ecstasy of
the Kiss and the rapture of the kill, the two fused.
I glided to the sofa, perching on
the arm.Mischief whispered in my ear.
My friend Lucien, head of the
Council that governed the Vampyre, would be livid if I endangered our secret. I
might even be punished. So what? For a
long time now, I’d faithfully toed the line, giving the powers that be no
reason to slap my hand. No one was likely to nominate me for sainthood, and I
was tired of being a good man.Envisioning
an outraged Lucien crumpling the newspaper, I laughed aloud.For days, I hadn’t laughed. I was still
chuckling when I dashed off a Men Seeking
Women romance ad.
Vampires were no longer monsters,
but fine seducers, purveyors of passion.Victims abounded. As I sampled the replies, I was disappointed and left
fifty beautiful women disappointed as well, thinking me another nut not a
vampire.
I failed to find the thrilling
vintage I sought and forgot about the ad.
**
“Hello, darlin’.” Her voice was
lazy, honey-sweet and sensual.“You look
like you could use some company.”
I took a deep breath of the vintage
I had sought. “I could.”
“You got it.”Manicured red nails dug into my shoulders. “I’ve
been waiting for you all my life.”
A first-class, round-trip ticket to
the Turks and Caicos Islands dropped on the keyboard. Another fell beside it.
One of the tickets was issued to Morgan Gabriel D'Arcy, the other to Fiona
Allman. I had to admire her style, but she couldn’t have come from the ad.
Names and addresses weren’t given.
Fiona was the given.
“What you waiting for? Your bags
are packed. We’re leaving on a jet plane.” The enticing voice grew darker,
duskier. “To sunshine. No more of this fricking rain.”
“Fiona, I presume.”
“It’s me, darlin’, the one you’ve
been waiting for.” Soft, warm lips caressed my cheek, her fingers working magic
on the tense muscles in my neck.
The scents of rain-perfumed skin,
Italian leather, and blood laced with single malt whiskey teased my six senses.
I hadn’t fed in nights. The craving
wrenched my stomach.Saliva broke
beneath my tongue. Her fingers stroking my neck awoke another, totally sexual
desire. I threw back my head and laughed.I was in trouble. At last!
She smoothed the hair back from my
forehead. “Come on, pretty baby, get up. We don’t have much time. Heathrow’s a
good hour’s drive from here.”
“I can’t go,” I said, not believing
my own lie. I always did exactly as I
pleased.“CD to cut.”
The throaty laugh was as sensual as
her touch.“I’ve checked your schedule.
No personal appearances. These poor bastards will wait until Lord D’Arcy
returns. They have to. You are the show.”
“How did you find me?” I liked the way she stroked my libido. An
image of taking her on the piano heated my blood. “How did you know my name?
And my schedule.”
“Does it matter?” She tucked my
hair behind my ear and sucked the lobe into her mouth. “I want you to shaft my
brains out.” (last sentence rewritten to
bring to PG-17)
“Anytime.” I was ready. Desire throbbed, hot, taut in my
belly...
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 won several writing awards,
including the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award and the SARA.She has two wonderful sons, is a retired
legal assistant, member of the Houston Symphony League, and enjoys events with
her car club (in her snazzy convertible).She owns a piano she can’t play without the remote(it has a player
system).She loves to dress up and host
formal dinner parties.
