Tuesday, February 23, 2021

February - Happy, happy birthday, cheers to you!

 


As promised, on the 23rd of every month I will post a list of literary author birthdays. I came across the list on Book Lover Gifts website. Feel free to add your favorite authors special day. Put it in the comments section, just wait for their birth month.



  • 02 Feb 1882 - James Joyce, author of Ulysses
  • 07 Feb 1812 - Charles Dickens, author of A Christmas Carol
  • 08 Feb 1828 - Jules Verne, author of Around the World in Eighty Days
  • 26 Feb 1802 - Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables

 

February Facts:

  • It is the shortest month of the year (even with leap year). The Welsh call February “y mis bach” which means “little month.”
  • It is the third month of winter.
  • The word February comes from the Latin februum which means purification.
  • Along with January, it was the last of the months added to the Roman calendar.
  • The Saxon term for February is Sol-monath which means “cake month.” February was the month the Saxons offered cakes to the gods.
  • Folklore: If February give much snow, a fine summer it doth foreshow.
See you next month!


Monday, February 22, 2021

Medieval Monday Spring 2021 with Celeste Barclay

 


Welcome back to Medieval Monday! This is week three of the new round of authors, snippets, and fun. Our spring theme is the first kiss.

Today, I'm hosting Celeste Barclay. Fate. Will Leif and Sigrid fight against it? Grab a copy of this Viking romance – Leif – and discover the answer. Meanwhile, here is Celeste's third excerpt.

 


Leif, Viking Glory 1

 

Fate brought them together.
Free will binds them.

 

After months at sea, Leif Ivarrson wants nothing more than to revel in the comforts of home. Yet when word arrives that a new threat has invaded their land, Leif is forced to take up his sword once more. Tasked with rescuing a jarl’s niece, Sigrid, from this malicious enemy, Leif departs on a journey that will alter the course of his fate. 

Since she was a young girl, Sigrid Torbensdóttir’s visions have been both a blessing and a curse. Now a grown woman and powerful seer, she knew enemies would come for her, eager to exploit her gift. Yet her visions taught her that fate could not be denied or ignored. As she had foreseen it, the heroic Viking would save her and sweep them both up in the raging storm of inescapable destiny. 

Drawn together by the will of the gods, Leif and Sigrid battle to save their people from a rival tribe’s scramble for power. Will their blossoming love survive the tests of war and family? Can a match created by fate withstand the machinations of man?

Set sail for adventure in this steamy Viking romance sure to leave you breathless! Norse lore meets passion and intrigue in Leif, written by Celeste Barclay! 

Buy Links: www.books2read.com/leifvikingglory

Excerpt #3

“I knew today wasn’t the day you would die, but it didn’t make it any easier to wait.”

“Knowing Freya would have told you to bar yourself here didn’t make it any easier to wait to find you.”

Leif brushed his lips across her mouth with more finesse than their first kiss. He waited to see if she would change her mind, but her body pressed against his. His tongue whispered against the seam of her mouth before he flicked the tip to express his desire. She gasped and opened to him... 

Check out last week’s blog from Cathy MacRae: https://www.cathymacraeauthor.com/bits-n-bobs-author-blog

Follow along next week with Sherry Ewing: https://www.sherryewing.com/blog

Where you can find all fourteen Medieval Monday authors:

If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join our Medieval Romance Lovers group where you’ll find snippets to all the other Medieval Monday blogs. You just might find a new author to love!.

Find the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1401384450126130

 

 

 


Monday, February 15, 2021

Medieval Monday - Excerpt 2 - Daryl Devoré


Welcome back to Medieval Monday! This is week two of the new round of authors, snippets, and fun. Our spring theme is the first kiss.

Today, I'm hosting Daryl Devoré. What do dragons, knights and romance have in common? Grab a copy of multi-published author Daryl Devore’s medieval fantasy romance – The Last Dragon and discover the answer. Meanwhile, here is Daryl's second excerpt.

 Excerpt #2:


            Hawkyns scratched his chin. “How can that be? Ye have—”

Derry cast her gaze to the ground. “Does it anger ye that I know nothing about… about before what I am now?”

“Anger? No.” He shook his head. “It confuses me. And saddens me. I had a happy boyhood.”

“Ye are a prince.”

“I fear my mother would call me a rouge and a scoundrel.”

“Trouble found ye?”

The Last Dragon



A sorcerer craving dominance merged with a dragon, the power overwhelmed him causing him to split into three dragons. Demora ruled thought, but was lost in time. Yidithe offered protection, shining like the light of the sun. Ayrradex craved chaos, revelling in destroying souls. 

Many knights died, attempting to slay the devil beast. One knight, Prince Hawkyns, did not fear death. He’d lost everything. Away on a mission when Ayrradex attacked his father’s kingdom, Penrythe, Hawkyns returned to find his noble father – feeble and defeated. His wise mother – crazed. His beautiful wife and unborn child - dead. Only a pile of ashes remained for him to bury. He knelt before his King and vowed to slay the devil-beast or be slain. 

Derry was born with powers that terrified her parents. They delivered her to a nunnery to be raised in secret. Jathe, a wise sorceress, discovered the young girl and trained her to one day use the secret hidden in her soul.

Legends spoken around campfires hinted the sole way to destroy Ayrradex was when the hearts of a knight and a golden dragon became one. But after a vicious battle with Ayrradex, the golden dragon was thought to be dead. 

Can Prince Hawkyns’s bravery and Derry’s powers end the reign of the devil-beast’s terror?

Buy Links

Amazon - ebook - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QPW4CVF

Amazon - print - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QRVJ59P

Books2read – universal link - ebook – https://books2read.com/The-Last-Dragon

Books2read –universal link – print -  https://books2read.com/The-Last-Dragon- 

Where to find Daryl:

You can see last week’s snippet on Daryl Devoré’s blog: https://daryldevore.blogspot.com/


Follow Daryl along next week on Sherry Ewin’s blog - https://www.sherryewing.com/blog

 Where you can find all fourteen Medieval Monday authors:

If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join our Medieval Romance Lovers group where you’ll find snippets to all the other Medieval Monday blogs. You just might find a new author to love!.

Find the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1401384450126130


Sunday, February 14, 2021

Love of the Sweetest Kind

 


Several Valentine Day’s ago, I was in the midst of writing a book. In order to get the right pace, patter, and passion I had Word read several iterations of the same paragraph. Every once in a while, my resident hero would walk by my office and recite what he heard and comment. He made me laugh.

As we got close to dinner time and my pots were all cold (creative credit to Santana), we went out to dinner at our favorite hamburger joint.

When I put the menu down there was a card in front of me. My hero is thoughtful, witty, supportive, and so much more, but Valentine’s Day is just not his thing. The card really made me smile and I hadn’t opened it. When I did, I was full out laughing.

What do you think?

Love of the Sweetest Kind

“Here?” she whispered to him sweetly.

“We’re alone,” he said discreetly.

“I’ve been good till now!” she sighed.

“But you’re human!” he replied.

“It’s so big!” she hesitated.

“It’s all yours,” he proudly stated.

“Oh, I shouldn’t!” she protested.

“If you love me -!” he suggested.

And so, losing all resistance,

she gave in to his insistence …


 

and ate every single chocolate in the box!

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!

 

A special thank you to my hero and Hallmark Cards.

More heart throbbing dialogue can be found in my stories.

The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea

Welcome to Sommer-by-the-Sea, a vibrant village nestled on the rugged northeast coast of England, 15 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne. Here, the world is centered on the country village and the lives of the landowning and professional families. Sommer-by-the-Sea is populated with aristocrats, gentry, self-made men, shop owners, local workers, and servants, a cross-section of the people of the time. Steeped in history dating back as far as the Vikings, the villagers are proud and celebrate their heritage.

Everyone from the elite summer residents to the year-round residence keep businesses flourishing and gossip thriving. As with any small town, there are challenges and successes, secrets, disagreements, and feuds. There is no shortage of romance, mystery, drama, and even a murder or two.

Graduates of the Sommer-by-the-Sea Female Seminary have a unique education. Along with the usual studies available, the head mistress has nurtured each woman’s innate ability and helped them develop into the women they are today. This shared unique experience has kept the graduates close.

Each lady has her own story to tell as she is called to action and must demonstrate she is smart, strong and sensible and must challenge the accepted definition of a “woman’s place.” For these women, arranged or political marriages will not do. If she chooses a husband, it will be for love, on her own terms, and with a man who will accept her as a partner. 

It is with pleasure I introduce you to The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea, and their stories.




Available at Amazon


Saturday, February 13, 2021

Valentine Historical Romance Flash Fiction Blog Hop!



Contest Over

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm so glad you're here. Thank you, Riana Everly, for sharing your book, The Bennet Affair, and for your Valentine’s gift of a story.

Keep reading to find out how to collect my Valentine’s Day present to you, and don’t forget to comment, that's your 'ticket' into the drawing for the Grand Prize a gift card (USD75 value).

My piece of flash fiction derives from my story, Knight of Runes. It's a time travel romance. Lord Arik is Rebeka's key to returning to the 21st century, but she is the only one who can save him from total destruction.

I love Rebeka and Lord Arik. Here is an radio interview with them. I hope you enjoy it.



Knight of Runes

Lord Arik and Lady Rebeka

Previously Recorded:

Ah, there you are and just in time. Thank you for coming I knew you wouldn't want to miss this. We've pulled a real coup. Let me give you a little background before they begin. Our investigative reporter is about to hold an interview the hero, Lord Arik, and heroine, Dr. Rebeka Tyler, of Ruth A. Casie's book, Knight of Runes, book one of The Druid Knight series.

And I have it on very good authority that book two of the series, Knight of Rapture, is scheduled for release March, 2015. You can check Ms. Casie’s website (www.RuthACasie.com) for more information.

I see they are about to begin. I'll fill you in on their story when the interview is over.

Reporter: (Facing the audience) Welcome and good afternoon. Today’s quests are Lord Arik, the exceptional knight who put his life on the line for the woman he loves. Also here is the extraordinary, Dr. Rebeka Tyler. She too was willing to risk it all--to save the man she loves.

It’s the 21st century, time travel is still a Wellsian fantasy but not for Dr. Rebeka Tyler. The renowned renaissance scholar finds herself tossed into the 17th century. While she tries to decode the ancient runes and unearth a family secret in order to return to her time she physically fights for her life against the dark druid, Bran, and struggles emotionally with the druid knight, Lord Arik, and the truth about their past. Neither Rebeka nor Arik can succeed by themselves, they must partner in order to win. But it will cost her dearly, her heart, and, if she's lucky, her future. (Turning to his guests) Thank you both for taking time to talk to us today. The first question I have is for Lord Arik.

Arik: Please, call me Arik.

Reporter: Certainly. Arik, what was your first impression of Rebeka?

Arik: I thought—

Rebeka: He thought I was a pain-in-the-ass.

Arik: Actually, that’s quite correct. (Smirks looking at Rebeka) You had this compulsion to interject yourself and opinions everywhere. You didn’t know your place. And you madam? What did you think of me? An actor. (Exasperated) An actor. (Turning to the Reporter) Can you believe it? The Druid Grand Master and Lord of Fayne Manor and she thinks I’m some sort of carnival performer.

Rebeka: Well, what did you expect? I had no idea I had traveled four hundred years into the past. (Turning toward the Reporter) When I arrived I met Doward, the old tinker. It was Beltane and with the way he was dressed and riding in a horse-drawn wagon I naturally assumed he was an actor going to some reenactment. They’re popular during Beltane. Then when I met Arik and the others, all on horseback and dressed like Doward, well what should I have thought. Arik was marching through the woods all proud and self-important, play acting.

Arik: (Raising an eyebrow to his wife) I was patrolling my domain. We were under attack, as you well found out.

Reporter: Oh no. (Turning towards Rebeka) And you thought it was all a charade. What happened?

Rebeka: We were traveling and came to the river at the crossing. The bridge was damaged, and Arik and men had to repair it so we could get the wagon across. There was no room for the wagon at the shore so Doward, me and Logan, Arik’s brother made camp up the road. The thieves attacked the wagon. They must’ve thought with only one soldier, a woman and an old man, we would be easy to subdue.

Arik: Subdue? You mean kill. They had every intention of killing all three of you.

Reporter: (The reporter crushed his script in his hands) What happened?

Arik: They were as shocked as I was. You see, both camps were attacked at the same time. We quickly took care of the marauders who attacked us and went to help the others. I didn’t know what to expect. (Shaking his head chuckling, he looked at Rebeka) You dispatched three before I got there. (Turning to the Reporter) She did well. No, she was excellent. She used her walking staff as a weapon in a way I’d never seen. I would have her at my side in any fight. 

Reporter: (Looking through his crumpled papers) That supports what I have here. (The reporter looks at Rebeka) You’re a warrior.

Rebeka: Not at all. In college I took karate for gym credit. I enjoyed the mind body connection so much that I continued it as daily exercise. At the river was the first time I had ever fought for my life.

Arik: (He took her hand and squeezed it) You did well. That’s when I knew there was more to you than met the eye. (Turns towards Reporter) Doward led me to believe the King had sent her to do research in my library.

Rebeka: That’s not exactly what Doward told you. (Turning to the Reporter) You see, by the time we reached Fayne Manor Doward and I had discovered that I was in the wrong time. We also figured out that the information I needed to get back was in the books in Arik’s library.

Reporter: I see.

Rebeka: I’m not certain you do. It was a dangerous game we both played. He was certain I was sent by his enemy, Bran. I was certain he’d kill me if he knew I traveled through time. I looked into family journals and diaries. I had no idea where to look or even what I was looking for. But everything I did made Arik more suspicious of me. And, well, I came from a time when women speak their mind. I didn’t endear myself to Arik.

Arik: But the emotions were stewing underneath. (In a hushed whisper) We wanted each other but didn’t trust each other.

Reporter: Wait a minute, why didn’t you tell Arik what you were looking for.

Rebeka: I don’t mean to toot my own horn but I’m a renowned history professor. It was 1605. Do you think for one moment anyone would believe me? What they would do to me? And before you say anything, yes, Arik is the Druid Grand Master but I didn’t know it then and I didn’t believe in magic. (She looks at Arik) At least not at that time.

Reporter: I find that a bit incongruous. How would you explain your time travel if not with magic?

Rebeka: (She looked down and laughed) I know. Stupid isn’t it. It’s amazing how we hold on to our prejudices. (Her voice was husky) But Arik taught me about magic—on so many levels.

Arik: (He looks at her and tries not to smile.) She needs the lesson repeated…often.

Reporter: Well, thank you both very much. (Pulling on his shirt collar.) Is it warm in here? (The reporter turns to the audience) You can find out more about Lord Arik and Lady Rebeka in Knight of Runes, Book I of the Druid Knight Series by Ruth A. Casie now available at Amazon. And look for Knight of Rapture, Book II of the series. I have BREAKING NEWS... Book III Knight of Remorse will be available later this year.

I hope you enjoyed the interview. Here's a brief overview for Knight of Runes.



Knight of Runes

She was his witch, his warrior, and his wife.
He was her greatest love.
Four centuries couldn’t keep them apart
.

England

May, 1605

When Lord Arik, a druid knight, finds Rebeka Tyler wandering his lands without protection, he swears to keep her safe. But Rebeka can take care of herself. When Arik sees her clash with a group of attackers using a strange fighting style, he's intrigued.

Rebeka is no ordinary seventeenth-century woman—she's travelled back from the year 2011, and she desperately wants to return to her own time. She poses as a scholar sent by the king to find out what's killing Arik's land. But as she works to decode the ancient runes that are the key to solving this mystery and sending her home, she finds herself drawn to the charismatic and powerful Arik.

As Arik and Rebeka fall in love, someone in Arik's household schemes to keep them apart, and a dark druid with a grudge prepares his revenge. Soon Rebeka will have to decide whether to return to the future or trust Arik with the secret of her time travel and her heart.

Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2C73zRV


My personal giveaway! CONTEST OVER - Congratulations to Lacey Waters. Please DM me at https://www.facebook.com/RuthACasie

Please leave a comment below. I will randomly chose one commenter to win a digital copy of Knight of Runes.

Go in the draw to win a gift card CONTEST OVER

The contest is open for Valentine’s day across the globe—from sunrise on 14th February in New Zealand (noon on February 13 U.S. EST) until midnight on 14th February in Hawaii (or 5 AM February 15 U.S. EST). When the contest ends, we’ll collect all comments on all 15 blogs in the hop. We’ll draw one at random, and then announce the winner on our blogs and contact him or her with a gift card valued at US$75. Good luck!

Next up, Sherry Ewing

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop is the awesome Sherry Ewing, author of A Second Chance at Love. You can find her here. Enjoy!


Monday, February 8, 2021

Medieval Monday Returns!

 


        Medieval Monday is back with its Spring edition. This season, we have four new authors with us! I can’t wait to read their snippets.

         Get ready to I’m find a swoon-worthy hero or two! Get ready for fourteen more weeks of snippets from some of your most loved medieval romance authors. And who knows, you may just meet a new author that writes just the type of story you love!

With Valentine’s Day next week, all our snippets are focused on THE first kiss. My snippets are from Knight of Runes. Here is the back cover copy.

 

England

May 1605

When Lord Arik, a druid knight, finds Rebeka Tyler wandering his lands without protection, he swears to keep her safe. But Rebeka can take care of herself. When Arik sees her clash with a group of attackers using a strange fighting style, he's intrigued.

Rebeka is no ordinary seventeenth-century woman—she's travelled back from the year 2011, and she desperately wants to return to her own time. She poses as a scholar sent by the king to find out what's killing Arik's land. But as she works to decode the ancient runes that are the key to solving this mystery and sending her home, she finds herself drawn to the charismatic and powerful Arik.

As Arik and Rebeka fall in love, someone in Arik's household schemes to keep them apart, and a dark druid with a grudge prepares his revenge. Soon Rebeka will have to decide whether to return to the future or trust Arik with the secret of her time travel and her heart.

“Ruth A. Casie, weaves an exciting and beautifully told legendary tale that is both rich and engaging.  It is full of, ‘on the edge of your seat’ suspense, mind-boggling drama and a forever-after romance. Ms. Casie's sparkling new novel, KNIGHT OF RUNES is a winner!” ~ Romance Junkies

 

Buy Link: Amazon: https://amzn.to/2C73zRV

* * *

Excerpt 1:

“Katherine,” Arik said as they walked into the Manor. “I will say this once and only once. These are not our guests. They’re my guests. You’re here because you’re family, and I’m obligated to see to your well-being. Do I make myself clear? What I do and with whom I do it is none of your concern. Do you understand?

Follow along next week (February 15) for the first excerpt here:

https://daryldevore.blogspot.com/

Please leave a comment below.

If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join our Medieval Romance Lovers group where you’ll find snippets to all the other Medieval Monday blogs. You just might find a new author to love!.

 

Find the group here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1401384450126130