Lord Percival Bretagne is used to playing games. He survived being a spy for a decade using his wits alone. But that was just life and death, now he’s playing for the most important prize of all—love.
He’ll Stop at Nothing . . .
Ten years after his family gave him up for dead, British spy Lord Percival Bretagne is back home, but his mission is far from over. Playing the aristocrat in London gambling dens and at country house parties is just a cover for Percy’s real quest. He’s hunting the man who stole everything from him—his family, his marriage, even his identity. And this time nothing, and no one, will stand in his way.
She’ll Risk it All . . .
But one night with Isabel Galante changes everything. She’s willing to gamble a woman’s most intimate prize in order to save her imprisoned father, but she didn’t expect a devilishly handsome opponent with a dangerously attractive wicked streak. Isabel would do anything for her family, including betraying Percy, but she has no idea that she’s stumbled into the middle of a decade-long quest for revenge.
Who Will Win in the Game Called Love?
Percy has been betrayed before, and now the man who destroyed his life is using Isabel to strike again. With the fate of the government and his new life in the balance, he’ll have to keep Isabel seductively, scandalously close. They begin a passionate game of truth and lies, deception and dalliance, uncovering the heart of who they really are and realizing that winning might mean losing what matters the most—each other.
Uncaged Review: This is a well written suspenseful regency romance, and the main characters sizzle together. The chemistry is spot on. I wasn’t sure when I started this book that I would like the characters as much as I did. Lord Percival has been a spy and is looking to trap Montfort, the man that left him for dead. And Isabel, is trying to free her father from prison by doing Montfort’s bidding.
This well managed plot keeps you guessing as to which way it’s heading, but the reader will see the two fall in love long before they admit it themselves. Even though this book is part of series, it’s a standalone and complete story and it’s all rounded off with a bit of humor and a bit of sexy heat. Reviewed by Cyrene
Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about Arresting Mason? Is this planned on being a part of a series?
I originally wrote this book for a bad boy anthology call, but by the time I was done, I had exceeded the max word count and still wanted to add more scenes. So I forgot all about the anthology and kept revising this story until I was finally happy with it. It’s now book one in the Arresting Onyx series.
For how I came up with the plot, I must thank my subconscious since I dreamed about it. For days after, I kept thinking about the hero, the heroine, and her brother, and the characters wouldn’t leave me in peace until I wrote out a rough plotline. Though I changed quite a bit as I put the dream down on paper (or rather computer), the main premise remained the same.
Uncaged: You’ve also written in a few other genres including western romance and time travel. What inspires you to write in the different genres?
I love writing in subgenres that I enjoy reading. Most of my story ideas and plots come from my dreams, and those dreams are pretty wild and imaginative, taking place in various settings and time periods. In order to gear up for writing something a little different from my norm, which is romantic suspense, I read any book I can get my hands on that is in the subgenre I’m planning to write.
Uncaged: What are you working on now that you can tell us about?
The second installment in the Arresting Onyx series should hopefully be out in late 2020. Arresting Jeremiah follows hardnosed parole officer Jim Borden and his obsession Calista Barlow as they stick their noses where they don’t belong and fall deep into the trouble with the criminal organization known as Onyx.
I’m currently revising book three, Arresting Benjamin, which should hopefully be released in 2021 or later. This sexy, dirty-talking romantic suspense series spans five books with a standalone HEA for each rough-and-tumble hero and their spunky heroines. The first book, Arresting Mason, is already published.
Uncaged: Past or present, which authors would you love to sit and have lunch with and why?
Jane Austen. I would love to know her thoughts about feminism (how things have and have not changed from her time) and the differences between writing styles and grammar from her time and now.
I definitely admire her. A woman writing and becoming a published author back in the early 1800s was scandalous and almost unheard of.
Read the rest of the interview in the issue below
Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.
Amber lives in North Carolina with her husband and four demanding cats.
Once you’re in a prison gang, you’re in it for life. That’s what Mason Harding thought until the boss accepted his resignation. After the State releases him on parole, a sexy divorcée behind the wheel of a car almost ends his life quicker than a shank. His chance encounter with Mia Eddison results in a night of passion, but her brother—his parole officer—catches them together and doesn’t approve.
Mia falls hard for the cocky ex-con, but not because of his chiseled body. She vows to break through his walls and discover his secrets, but never expects those secrets to threaten her life. When members of an organized crime ring kidnap Mia to force Mason’s return to the gang, he goes up against an old friend to save the woman he loves. Will his sacrifice be enough or will everything fall apart in a blaze of gunfire?
Excerpt
Mia scowled at her brother as he headed up the stairwell, and she used her body to block his entrance into her home.
Jim didn’t seem to notice her tense body language and pushed her aside to enter. “Good morning.” He hugged her with one arm and frowned at the hardwoods. “There’s something sticky on the floor.” He scraped his shoes over it a few times and headed toward the kitchen. “What’s for breakfast?” “Why are you here?” Mia shut the door, grabbed the towel she’d left on the sofa, and used it to cover the evidence of her desire on the floor. The last thing she needed was for her brother to realize what that sticky substance was. Her gaze darted toward the telephone and answering machine combo in the living room and back to Jim as he picked up the pancake mix. The U-shaped kitchen occupied one half of the loft’s airy floor plan, and she could see into the kitchen through a gap between the upper and lower cabinets. “You know to call first. I don’t have any messages on the machine, and I doubt you called my cell phone.”
“I’m in the neighborhood to see a parolee for an unexpected visit—well, unexpected for him—but I thought I’d stop by to see you first.” Jim sat the box aside and opened the fridge door. “You have any more blueberry muffins?”
“No, you cleaned me out the last time you showed up unannounced.” She crossed her arms and glanced at the closed bedroom door. “Jim, you need to leave.” She’d rather shave her legs without aloe-infused shaving cream or live a whole month without a hairdryer than introduce her parole officer brother to her parolee—boyfriend, perhaps?—the day after the best sex of her life. Talk about awkward.
“What’s the rush? I haven’t seen you in a few days.” He grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter and rubbed it on his polo shirt to shine the fruit before he sank his teeth in. “Why are you so uppity?”
“I’m in a bathrobe, Jim, and you’re irritating the crap out of me. I have plans today and need to get going.”
“I bought you that robe for Christmas last year. It’s nice to know you use it.” He glanced at the food on the marble countertop. “Looks to me like you were about to fix breakfast. Pancakes are fine since you’re out of muffins.”
He’s known as the Duke of Daring…but is he brave enough to take on one feisty spinster?
The Duke of Darlington is on a mission. He needs to protect his secret gaming hell from a group of debutantes who’ve stumbled upon his covert business. The problem… Miss Minerva Chase is not the average lady. From the moment his compatriots assign Daring to keep watch over the fiery redhead, she begins stirring trouble. Not only is her tongue sharper than any sword he’s faced but her lips are achingly soft while she tosses barb after barb in his direction. He’d like to throttle her, or kiss her, or perhaps protect the very spirit that drives him mad.
Minnie knows a pompous, arrogant, infuriating man when she meets one and she will not be intimidated. So what if he’s a duke with a secret? She won’t bend, not even when she realizes that he pushes her away because he’s been hurt before; a hurt she’s experienced herself. And she will not give in to his will, even when his kiss lights her body to flame. But when he needs her help… well, that’s a little more difficult for a girl to refuse.
The problem is that once she’s seen his softer side, she’s in jeopardy of succumbing to the Duke of Daring. When it comes to love, is she brave enough to give away her heart?
Uncaged Review: When I first started this book, I was absolutely positive that I wasn’t going to like Minnie at all. Too brash and too outspoken – I thought she was a bit too cynical and too easy to throw insults without the knowledge of the person she was going after – in this case Tag. But she did redeem herself very early on in the book, and she has easily jumped up on my list of characters that I’ve enjoyed.
When five ladies discover the men’s gaming hell, in order to keep their secret – each man who is part of the business is entrusted to watch over one of the ladies. Tag, The Duke of Daring has the daunting job of watching over Minerva, or Minnie. Sparks fly between the two the moment they meet, and it’s a great time watching it all come together. This is a shorter book, and easy to read in a day and I was hooked on finding out how everything was going to play out. I’m not going to give spoilers, but the book is a fun read and a new favorite from this author. Reviewed by Cyrene
Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your Rise series?
The Rise series has been in my head for a long, long time in one form or another. I wrote as a teenager, completing my first ‘novel’ at around twelve or thirteen. Predictably, it was horrible. However, the seeds of my heroine, Sydney, are in that book. Like Syd, my first heroine was psychic and asked to take on way more responsibility than she’s ready for. If I’ve done my job right (write?) the Rise series is quick-paced, dark and gritty, sexy and keeps the reader guessing.
Uncaged: The third book in the series releases in 2020, how many books are planned for the series? Do people need to read them in order?
For myself, I’m a bit militaristic about reading a series in order, even if the books are standalone. So I’m going to say the best opportunity for maximum enjoyment comes from reading the books in order. There is a sequence of events in the series, building up as the story goes along. There are some bits of information that have been written into book one that haven’t fully come to fruition yet. But if you happened to pick up Curse of Ashes (book two) before Pledge of Ashes, it wouldn’t be the end of the world and you should be able to understand what’s happening.
As far as how many books are planned, I do have an idea how the series ends, but I’m not 100% on how many books it will take to get there.
Uncaged: What are you working on now that you can tell us about?
I’m editing Fallen From Ashes right now, book three in the Rise series. And if things go according to my master plan, I’ll be editing a fantasy romance which will go out on submission through my agency later in the year. I’d also love to draft book four of the Rise series this year. But the creative process can be less than linear sometimes, so we’ll see!
Uncaged: Past or present, which authors would you love to sit and have lunch with and why?
I love J.R. Ward. I’ve gone to several of her signings and she’d be a riot to talk with and learn from. I’m a big advocate for women and what we’re capable of, so I’d like to have time with some of the first and most significant women authors like Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austin, or Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Amy Sevan has been writing about angels, demons and other super natural stuff for a very long time. In the meantime, she’s bartended, taught piano lessons, earned her stockbroker’s license, and built a dog training business. The spirit of Detroit holds a certain forbidden magic she’s drawn to, so, she usually writes about those two things. Magic and Detroit.
She’s a member of Detroit Working Writers and Greater Detroit Romance Writers. Sarah Younger of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency represents her.
Amy has a supportive husband and a home with enough creatures shedding at any given moment to knit a blanket. If she knitted. Which she doesn’t.
There’s no twelve-step program for recovering psychics, but Detroit mechanic Sydney Hoven has been working hard on her supernatural sobriety. Too bad Hell didn’t get the memo. When Syd meets Devon on her first night back out, she doesn’t have to be psychic to see ‘really bad idea’ written all over his stunningly gorgeous face. He says an Archangel wants her protected. But why?
When one of Lucifer’s lieutenants is sent to kill Sydney, the demon might be too strong for even Devon and the angelic forces he represents. With no true allies, Syd must stand on her own, destroy the demon, and claim her power. Otherwise, staying supernaturally sober might just kill her.
~~ Pledge of Ashes is the first book in the Rise romantic urban fantasy series that features angels and demons, men who have no business looking that good, and a heroine who is learning to wield incredible power.
Excerpt
Detroit came alive under the cover of darkness. Noisy clubbers laughed raucously, ear-deadening bass pounded from cars with twenty-four-inch rims, and thick steam billowed from the sewer grates.
Syd slammed the door of her cab and glanced around. Damn straight she took someone else’s ride. Like she’d risk door dings on the GTO? That’s a firm no. The Dive, looking exactly as the name would imply, leered at her with its crumbling concrete and prison-style windows, the electronic music reverbing through her chest even as she stood outside. Her booted feet seemed content to plant themselves on the broken pavement, but she couldn’t stay out here forever. In seconds, the October chill had already worked through her cropped leather jacket.
Feeling the buzz in her back pocket, Syd pulled out her phone. Nina’s text was pleading. Still coming, right? I’m @ the bar. Syd stared a moment more and put the phone away.
So here she was. Attempting the friend thing. Syd rolled her shoulders. She closed her eyes and drew her mental wall around her, thick like a shield. If she were the praying type, now would be the time. Instead, she shook out her hands and willed her feet forward. The club’s scarred oak door was cold in her grip. She pulled and was assaulted by the beating sounds, alcoholic vapor, and the sensual movement of sex-about-to-happen on the dance floor.
Syd pushed forward, jostling as little as possible, but making slow progress nonetheless. A waitress with a skimpy outfit and bored expression split the crowd, and Syd made use of the trail she left.
A shiver of apprehension traveled through her, and she stalled, losing her path. People brushed at her from all sides, and her breath hitched. She double-checked the lock on her mind, defied the warning bells in her head. Syd wouldn’t stand up Nina for some weird psychic social anxiety. She’d said she’d go out, and she would. Step by step, inch by inch, her intuition, the part of herself she understood least, fought her.
She glanced down at her deep-red polished nails with a bit of grease around the edges that wouldn’t come out for anything. Man, she wished she had stayed in the garage with her GTO. The car was a puzzle. Parts had specific places, and when you put them back just right, wonderful things happened. You went fast. Sometimes fast enough to forget.
“It is observed that in any great endeavor, it is not enough for a person to depend solely on himself.” ~ Lakota Proverb
They called it a terrible glory and the last great battle for the American West. While the battle of the Little Bighorn was the last stand by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer against the Lakota tribes, to Lily Sinclair it was the last stand between her old life and her new beginning.
After her in-laws squander away the family fortune, Lily and her husband, Alfred, head out west to the mountains of Montana, the only land available to poor people and far away from the debts haunting them. When a band of Cherokee warriors attacks their wagon train along the way, they kill her husband and take her captive, selling her to a Lakota tribe for the price of several horses.
Widowed Lakota warrior Tahatan has vowed never to take another bride after his wife’s death. However, he soon finds himself forced in a marriage with the outspoken, yellow-haired Yankee who challenges every thought in his head.
With Custer’s sights set on the hidden gold in the depths of the Black Hills, the Colonel begins his warpath on the tribe villages. Can Lily overcome the demons of her past and defend Tahatan and his people? Or will she betray them all for the actions against her dead husband?
Uncaged Review: Lily Sinclair travels with her husband, Alfred, from their home in Washington D.C. to the western frontier. Lily’s in-laws had squandered the family fortune, so Lily and George head to far-away Montana to start over. Along the way, Cherokee warriors attack the wagon train, kill Alfred and most of the travelers, and take Lily hostage, along with a couple of other women. She is traded to a Lakota tribe for a few horses. Tahatan is a Lakota warrior who tragically lost his wife. He is not happy when the tribe’s chief decrees he is to marry Lily. Over time, trust and eventually love, grows between Lily and Tahatan. Lily integrates into the Lakota tribe and learns their ways and culture. She might have successfully rebuilt her life had it not been for the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the discovery of gold in Indian territory.
The first third of this story is Lily trying to find her place in a new world, making new relationships within the tribe and going from being a captive to a valued member of the Lakota people. The middle section is the tribe balancing on the cusp of war. The sweeping conclusion comes after a series of surprises and twists.
This book is researched history meeting literary twists. It earns a solid five stars for creativity and characterization. There were a few minor typos sprinkled throughout. The drawback was the dialogue between Lily and her Lakota family. While trappers had taught some tribe members English, the slang and phrases that the Native Americans understood and used was not believable. Ms. Archer has written wonderful Native American stories before, and the dialogue has always been believable until now. Beyond those issues, “Through the Eyes of a Captive” is an entertaining story about an emotionally strong woman that will keep readers flipping pages to see what happens to her next. Reviewed by Ryan Jo
Rand, Viscount Aylesford, needs a fiancée, and he needs one now. His requirements are concise: she must not embarrass him, and she must understand he has no intention of ever marrying her.
Miss Grace Winter is the most stubborn of the notorious Wicked Winters. When her brother decrees she must marry well, she is every bit as determined to avoid becoming a nobleman’s wife. She would never marry a lord, especially not one as arrogant and insufferable as Aylesford.
But pretending is another matter entirely. She has to admit the viscount’s idea of a feigned betrothal between them would not be without its merits. Until Aylesford kisses her, and to her dismay, she likes it.
Soon, their mutually beneficial pretense blossoms into something far more dangerous to both their hearts…
Uncaged Review: This shorter read is a whole lot of fun. The Winter’s sisters are not for the faint of heart – and their brother Dev, sure has his hands full. The sisters have in their possession, a set of books that have stories that they could never let their brother know they have, with the hot scenes and images. When Grace is caught reading one of the books, she becomes the target from Rand Aylesford, who needs a fiancée and he uses the book and his knowledge of Grace reading it to his advantage.
I won’t tell the outcome, or the story itself, but this is a fun afternoon interlude with a bit of humor and some steamy scenes to warm you up. The chemistry between the main characters is spot on and the sisters are a hoot. The more I read from this author, the higher on my list of favorite authors she goes. Reviewed by Cyrene
When the Great War is over, will their love be enough?
After two years at the mercy of the Canadian Expeditionary force and the German war machine, Harry ran out of metaphors for death, synonyms for brown, and images of darkness. When he encounters color among the floating islands of Amiens and life in the form a widow and her little son, hope ensnares him. Through three more long years of war and its aftermath, the hope she brings keeps Harry alive.
Rosemarie Legrand’s husband left her a tiny son, no money, and a savaged reputation when he died. She struggles to simply feed the boy and has little to offer a lonely soldier, but Harry’s devotion lifts her up. The war demands all her strength and resilience, will the hope of peace and the promise of Harry’s love keep her going?
Uncaged Review: I really hesitated reading this book, as even though I love a good historical romance, I tend to lean toward the Regency, Victorian and Highland romances and have never been a huge reader of war-time stories. Secondly, it’s past the holidays and I normally don’t read them so soon after a holiday is over. But passing this book by, no matter what time of year, would have been a huge mistake. This is an epic love story – and the author’s descriptions and characters will pull you into the story and make you feel the emotions and love that Rosemarie and Harry build upon throughout the book. This is as real as it gets – the author makes me believe it’s her story and she lived it as the historical time period is so perfectly done. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Cyrene
Uncaged: You have a new book releasing on February 18, called The Lady is Trouble. Can you tell readers more about this book? This is the first in a series, how many books are planned for the series?
The Lady is Trouble is a book I had in my mind for YEARS! There’s a scene I don’t actually show in the book (though it is mentioned) that I can still see that was the start of the book for me. (The hero and heroine meeting as children.) The Lady is Trouble is a bit of a departure for me because so far I’ve only published historical romances set in the south. Trouble is set in England AND features magical realism (think supernatural activities that were actually very popular in the Victorian era). It tells the story of Julian Alexander, Viscount Beauchamp, and Lady Piper Scott — soulmates who find a second chance at love, mostly due to Piper’s stubborn conviction that they are destined to be together. Julian has the gift of sight and Piper is a healer. He has sworn to protect her but not love her–and the love story rolls from there. My books are fairly high heat (steamy) and aside from the mystical slant, it’s a true Victorian romance.
Trouble is the first in the League of Lords series, which will run five books (maybe one of those being a holiday novella) unless I’m loving the characters and it runs more! I’m already hard at work on the next in the series, Finn Alexander’s love story. Supposedly the most gorgeous man in England, so there is that. 😉
Uncaged: What inspired you to write in the historical romance genre?
Oh, boy. I started reading romance in college and the first I picked up was a historical. I called them the Lords & Ladies books. I just loved them and still do (I’m a huge reader of the genre — check out my Bookbub, that’s only from like the last 1.5 years!) So, when I decided to write (I was a journalism major, so writing no far off from what I wanted to do), I started a historical. But I’m southern, even though at that time I lived in New York City, so I set them there. I love the deep south settings. Small town, etc!
Uncaged: Several of your books are already in audio format. Is that a long process to turn the book into audio? Has it been well received by readers/listeners?
Yes, audiobooks are just booming! I’ve released three so far (The Garrett Brothers series) with three more coming up by March (including The Lady is Trouble). All can be found on Audible or my website www.tracy-sumner.com. I’ve worked with two narrators — and reviews are great so far. I’m just happy to reach readers in any way. It’s a love of the genre thing for me. And…it’s a new world out there for writers.
Uncaged: What are you working on next that you can tell us about?
I’m working on the second book in the League of Lords series. Still percolating about the title. He’s gorgeous, intelligent, sensitive (but alpha when he needs to be) and a mindreader. 😉 Yes, really. Of course he falls for the only person whose mind he can’t read. And…he’s the bastard of a viscount, so life is complicated. I love him already!
Read the rest of this interview in the issue below
Tracy’s story telling career began when she picked up a copy of LaVyrle Spencer’s Vows on a college beach trip. A couple of degrees (BA, Journalism-MA, Media Arts) and a thousand romance novels later, she decided to try her hand at writing a southern version of the perfect love story. With a great deal of luck and more than a bit of perseverance, she sold her first novel to Kensington Publishing.
Tracy has been awarded the National Reader’s Choice, HOLT Medallion, the Write Touch and the Beacon – with finalist nominations in the HOLT Medallion, Heart of Romance, Rising Stars and Reader’s Choice. Her books have been translated into German, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish.
She lives in the south, but after spending a few years in NYC, considers herself a New Yorker at heart. She loves hearing from readers about why she tends to pit her hero and heroine against each other or that great novel she simply must read.
FUN FACT
Tracy wrote part of To Seduce a Rogue in a hostel in Taipei, Taiwan and Tides of Love while living in Paris, in a building George Sand occupied on Rue de Seine.
In the first in Tracy Sumner’s captivating League of Lord series, mysticism in Victorian England is the setting for a captivating love affair . . .
What’s a rebellious woman to do when the man she’s meant for doesn’t believe in love?
After three years of waiting for Julian Alexander to realize they are destined to be together, Lady Piper Scott takes matters into her own hands. Because her gift as a healer has never done anything but distance her from the most principled man in England. A meaningless diversion as a medium, all done to gain a certain wandering viscount’s attention, backfires. As most endeavors have for a woman known in the ton as Scandalous Scott.
What’s a reluctant viscount to do when the woman he can’t have becomes the woman he can’t live without?
Julian Alexander, Lord Beauchamp, battled his way from the lowliest slum to assume his title. He carries not only a turbulent past, but a mystical gift that separates him from society. Honorable to his core, he is committed to protecting a community of outcasts with abilities like his own. He has no time, no place, for love. Or repeatedly rescuing the most outrageous, beguiling woman he’s ever known. Even if she needs his protection most—and he desires her above all others.
Seduction, intrigue and desire lead to an explosive passion… Julian vowed to shield Piper from the deadly foes seeking to possess her powerful gift. Although he needs her help in controlling his own, the mix could be deadly. Soon what was once a simple agreement to work together becomes enchantingly complex as they surrender to a timeless love…
Excerpt
There is nothing stable in the world; uproar’s your only music. John Keats
Chapter One London, 1865
Allowing the lady to lure him into her carriage had been a brilliant idea.
Julian Alexander stared at a spider crack in the ceiling of his Mayfair townhome and wondered when he might start to believe it. He could presume encountering a former lover outside Hatchards on an otherwise lonely evening was a fortuitous event if there weren’t the niggling—familiar—pinch of regret the moment his cock settled.
A faint sense of having erred, gone off the path and into a twilight woodland where one could be easily lost.
As lost as he’d felt stepping into her dimly lit carriage.
Julian watched Marianne wrap herself in his silk dressing gown, her chatter lulling him into a state of satiated distraction. Only the first and third word of each sentence filtering through, he found the conversation definitively complete. Earl, garden, tryst, scandal. Titles and the men who held them occupied her undivided interest. Each day spent investigating a riddle that had no solution.
Was not, in fact, worth the attention she devoted to it.
In all fairness, Julian could not judge.
His mystical gift separated him from a normal existence and made the world he’d been born into at times unrecognizable. Out of a sense of duty, he played the part of the gentleman for the solitary purpose of propping up the viscountcy, adhering to society’s rules while struggling to preserve his secrets and the secrets of those he protected. Of course, he tendered his title when it benefited himself or the League. But a barony would have profited as well and knocked him down a notch, perhaps enough to slip beneath the waves and be carried from view.
He closed his eyes and let the waves crash over him.
Then Marianne mucked it up by kicking the door to the past wide open.
He rose to his elbow, knocking the counterpane aside. Dragging his hand through his hair, he asked, “Repeat that, will you?” Alarm vibrated through his belly, like swimming in the sea and realizing a massive wave crested behind you. No, it couldn’t be. “Come again?” Marianne’s gaze settled where the sheet hung low on his hips. “So, you were listening.” She reached to touch, a stroke on air. Licked her lips in the event he didn’t register her appreciation. “Jules, with you, I never know.”
He slid high in the bed, suppressing his annoyance. Jules. He’d asked her to refrain from calling him that. Too. Many. Memories. “Marianne, the clairvoyant?”
Her smile grew luminous, her delight underscoring the scant attention he offered. Without trying to be a disdainful cad, it seemed he was precisely that. “Oh, darling, it was the most farcical evening! Ashcroft arranged for a fortune teller to entertain, and you know him. For a duke, he pushes the boundaries of propriety while always staying within the limit.” She leaned in, clutching the lapels of his dressing gown to her bosom. “I heard there was absinthe served to the men. Why, the festivities were enough to make a stuffed bird laugh!”
Julian hummed low in his throat and rose from the bed. He didn’t know but could imagine. Hell’s teeth, he thought and reached for his clothes, which lay in a tidy pile next to the chiffonier. Taken off without haste, neatly folded.
Slayer Princess Miranda, heir to the throne, has hated the Vampyres for a thousand years. Since the Awakening, she’s fought to protect her people, choosing to be a warrior more than a royal. When a female Vampyre washes up on the shore of her compound’s riverbank, she seizes the opportunity to take the offensive.
Sathan, King of the Vampyres, distraught at his sister’s disappearance and captivity, agrees to travel with Miranda to resect the Blade of Pestilence, also hoping to change his people’s state of endless war. Although the woman hates him due to the constant raids on her compound for the Slayers’ life-giving blood, he can’t help but admire the stubborn and strong princess.
As their journey progresses, both begin to understand that they are aligned in their hatred of Crimeous, leader of the Deamons, as well as their hope for peace between the Slayers and Vampyres. Determined to fight their growing attraction, they forge a tentative truce. But old wounds run deep and trust is scarce. Their faith in each other must remain strong or all will be lost…
Uncaged Review: What a great surprise this book turned out for me. It started a tad slow as the world was built and before I really got a firm grasp on the characters and how the different species were all linked together. But watch out, once this book starts moving, it is a fast moving train. In this world, the Vampyres only exist on Slayer blood, but instead of a peaceful existence between them, there is constant war. This story revolves around the Slayer, Princess Miranda and Vampyre, King Sathan. Miranda is looking to find peace between their people, and unfortunately she will need Sathan’s help.
There is a lot of great action – good sex scenes and a bit of humor sprinkled in. The chemistry between Miranda and Sathan is off the charts – and even though the overall arc in this story continues on for the series, it does wrap up and cement Miranda and Sathan’s bond. Well worth picking up. Reviewed by Cyrene
Uncaged: You have had a very busy 2019, and you are not slowing down at all in 2020! You have two new releases in January with co-writer Dawn Brower. Can you tell readers more about how that collaboration came about?
Dawn Brower and I have often worked together. When we started talking about an idea for heroines who do unusual things-fence, racehorses, run gaming hells-we knew we had to write it! As we talked about the possibilities, we decided it would be fun to write the series together, and so we did. What we planned as a four-book series has turned into eight books, with the final two releasing in early February.
Uncaged: You also have collaborated on several new box sets coming out in 2020. Can you tell readers more about them?
Oh Yes! 2020 is going to be an exciting and busy year! I am leading 5 box sets to release in February, May, August, September, and November 2020. The first two, Mad About Dukes and A May Day to Remember, are on preorder now! All of them are Regency/Victorian collaborations, including 6-9 authors, and two of them will be all-new material. In addition to the sets, I have 5 new books planned to release in 2020.
Uncaged: I’m almost afraid to ask this, but what are you working on next that you can tell us about?
I am currently finishing up Believe in Love, my January 21, 2020 release. It is book 5 in the Scandal Meets Love Series we talked about above. This one features Lady Brooke, who is a card shark and a horsewoman. “Lady Brooke Linwood never could have guessed what would happen after she saved the Earl of Templeton from a cutthroat in the ally behind Fortuna’s Parlor.” It is a blast to write!! After Believe in Love is completed, I will be starting work on book three in my A Rogue’s Kiss series, His Perfect Hellion. A fun Regency with a little spice, and the final book in that series. His Perfect Hellion is also on preorder and releases in March of 2020. After that, I will be writing my novella for one of the new material box sets, then diving into a secret connected worlds project with several other fabulously talented authors. In the meantime, I am also working on having my books translated into French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. Many of them already are. And I also have audiobooks in the works.
Uncaged: Past or present, which authors would you love to sit and have lunch with and why?
Johanna Lindsey would be my top pick. She is one hundred percent responsible for my love of Historical Romance, and I can only imagine she’d be a wealth of knowledge.
Read more of this interview in the issue below
USA Today Bestselling author Amanda Mariel dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word. When she is not writing she can be found reading, crocheting, traveling, practicing her photography skills, or spending time with her family.
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A chance encounter… Finding herself in a rogue’s arms was the last thing Lady Phoebe Summerville imagined would happen while she was perched in the branches of a tree. Startled at her willingness while in the mystery man’s arms, she determined to forget him and return to Yorkshire. Little did she know, they would meet again.
An undeniable attraction… Graham Markham, Duke of Fairfax, knew better than to trifle with a debutante. Yet he found himself unable to refrain where Lady Phoebe was concerned. The woman created a desire in him that could not be ignored. A passion, that much to his dismay, did not cease when her family demanded he marry her.
A love that won’t be denied… Sickened at the notion that his past would bring shame and hurt to Phoebe, Graham does all in his power to end their engagement. Equally determined, Phoebe refuses to beg off and sets out to win the dukes heart. Unbeknownst to her, she already has. It is the very reason Graham wishes to protect her.
Can true love be denied? Or will Phoebe and Graham embrace their hearts desire come what may?
Excerpt
Graham stared up at the woman perched like a curious little bird in flowing skirts. What the devil was she doing in the tree? And who was the lovely creature?
He held out a hand as though he could reach her. “Allow me to help you down.” The woman did not reply but continued to stare back at him, her face shielded behind a plume of white feathers. His curiosity grew more with each beat of his heart. Who was the woman? A guest from the ball no doubt, but what was her name? And why was she stashed away in a tree? “What are you doing up there?” he asked.
She wriggled on the branch. “Go away. Forget you saw me, and I shall do the same.”
“I cannot leave you up there. For all I know, you’re stuck. A gentleman does not abandon a lady in need.” Even through the darkness he saw her eyes spark with annoyance, or was it anger? Either way it amused him.
“I am not in need of anything you have to offer. If you are a gentleman, you will leave me alone as I’ve asked you to do.” “Prove that you are not in need of rescue and I shall.”
She peered down at him. “I have no reason to prove anything.”
“Oh, but you do.” He stepped back, his gaze moving to the branches. He looked back up as he grasped a branch.
She watched in horror as he hefted himself into the tree. “Stop,” she called from her perch. “I’ll come down on my own.”
Graham fought the urge to continue his climb and dropped back to the ground, his gaze trained on the woman who now ascended the trees limbs. He should not give a damn about her reasons for being up there, but for some reason found himself beyond curious.
After all, t wasn’t everyday one found a lady in a tree.
Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.
Amy Sevan has been writing about angels, demons and other super natural stuff for a very long time. In the meantime, she’s bartended, taught piano lessons, earned her stockbroker’s license, and built a dog training business. The spirit of Detroit holds a certain forbidden magic she’s drawn to, so, she usually writes about those two things. Magic and Detroit.
Tracy’s story telling career began when she picked up a copy of LaVyrle Spencer’s Vows on a college beach trip. A couple of degrees (BA, Journalism-MA, Media Arts) and a thousand romance novels later, she decided to try her hand at writing a southern version of the perfect love story. With a great deal of luck and more than a bit of perseverance, she sold her first novel to Kensington Publishing.
