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Category Archives: historical romance

May Day Release for Ann Gimpel’s Blood and Magic

29 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by authormjflournoy in Ann Gimpel, Blood and Magic, historical romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Ann Gimpel, Blood and Magic, Coven, Historical Romance, mages, magic, paranormal romance, steampunk, Taliesin Publishing, witch, witches

http://youtu.be/I-eauodEiOo

bloodmagic
Blood and Magic

By Ann Gimpel

Publisher: Taliesin
ISBN:

Release Date: 5/1/14

Genre: Dark Paranormal Romance
63,000 words

Amazon Buy Link
http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Magic-Ann-Gimpel-ebook/dp/B00K10FCAM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398902339&sr=1-2&keywords=blood+and+magic
Taliesin Buy Link
B&N Buy Link B&N:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-and-magic-ann-gimpel/1119353754?ean=2940149492732
All Romance E-books Buy Link

Can Luke conquer his past and claim the only woman he’s ever loved?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blurb:
Magic didn’t just find Luke Caulfield. It chased him down, bludgeoned him, and has been dogging him ever since. Some lessons are harder than others. Luke survives by embracing danger and upping the ante to give it one better. An enforcer for the Coven, a large, established group of witches, his latest assignment is playing bodyguard to the daughter of Coven leaders.

Abigail Ruskin is chaperoning a spoiled twelve-year-old from New York to her parents’ home in Utah Territory when Luke gets on their stagecoach in Colorado. A powerful witch herself, Abigail senses Luke’s magic, but he’s so overwhelmingly male, she shies away from contact. Stuck between the petulant child and Luke’s raw sexual energy, Abigail can’t wait for the trip to end.

Wraiths, wolves, and humans with dark magick attack. Unpleasant truths surface about the child and Abigail’s well-ordered world crashes around her. Luke’s so attracted to Abigail, she’s almost all he can think about, but he’s leery too. In over his head, he summons enforcer backup. Will they help him save the woman he’s falling in love with, or demand her immediate execution?

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YmExMTJmZmM0NTczY2U4Y2JhMWU1MGJkZGZiMWE4OjYzMA==/
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba112f630
Excerpt:
…It wasn’t Luke but a long, drawn-out shriek that brought Abigail thumping back to consciousness, her heart hammering triple time in her chest. Eyes wide and staring against the darkness, she warded herself just in time. Strong magic battered her. She tried to sense Luke, but that was the problem with wards. They protected by forming an impenetrable barrier and corralled her magic inside.
Whatever was pummeling her seemed to have given up. She risked chinking enough of a hole in her warding to send a tendril of magic outward because she needed information. When it came, it terrified her so badly, her heart stuttered. Dark things surrounded them: wraiths, mad wolves—those who’d been turned to serve the other side—and humans who’d sold their immortal souls for forbidden knowledge. Had the girl rallied them? How could she possibly be that powerful? Luke didn’t seem to be anywhere. Abigail hoped he’d concealed himself out of harm’s way, because the two of them couldn’t make the slightest dent in the dark horde outside. The stagecoach rocked and she realized someone was climbing onto the roof. Throat so dry she could barely breathe, she mended her warding.
The books. That’s what they want… Let them haul the miserable things out of here. She knew she should risk heaven and hell to keep such knowledge out of dark hands, but Abigail didn’t see how throwing her life away would alter the outcome. She heard voices speaking the Satanic tongue, and then dragging sounds as someone transferred the trunk to the ground. Luke shouldn’t have bothered to put it back up top, she thought grimly.
What had the Girauds been doing with such arcane tomes in the first place? She supposed there was the slightest chance they’d been protecting them from falling into the wrong hands. Yes, by all means, let’s give Coven members the benefit of the doubt. Except it was a struggle, and she didn’t know who the hell to trust anymore.
She waited until it was absolutely still outside, and a tentative scan told her the dark host she’d sensed earlier had moved on, before loosing her wards. The minute she did, she felt Luke’s energy. He pulled open one of the coach doors. “I scared up a couple of horses from a nearby farm. We need to go after those books—and the girl.”
She fought down the protest that rose to her lips, but it slid out anyway. “There aren’t enough of us.”
“Fixed that problem too.” He smiled grimly. “I can ward you if you want to stay here, but if you’re coming we need to get moving. Don’t want to let the trail get too cold.” From the smirk in his voice, she knew he was being sarcastic.
She sent her magic spiraling outward and felt the books pulsing with evil. No way that path would ever get cold. “Why couldn’t I feel them this strongly before? I know the trunk had to have been spelled, but still…”
“The trunk was spelled, and by someone with magic to burn. It’s over in those trees. I guess Carolyn’s minions were in a hurry and didn’t have a wagon.”
Abigail felt like a rube. The book trunk had already been packed and sealed when she’d picked Carolyn up in New York. She’d never even thought to examine it. “Did you see Carolyn?”
“Yup.” His upper lip curled into a sneer. “Caught a glimpse of her riding a mad wolf.”
“Do you suppose there’s some way we could separate her from Goody Osborne?” Abigail bit her lip nervously.
Luke shook his head. “Even if we could—and I don’t think it’s possible—there are too many unknowns. Her parents might have been turned. If that happened, the kid could have embraced evil before it entered her body. By the time we sorted all that out, the dark would have had one too many chances to kill us.”
Abigail winced at the unvarnished truth in his words. Any residual doubts she held about the necessity of destroying the girl melted away. “Yes,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’m coming with you.”
Luke boosted her onto one of the horses. She pulled her skirts out of the way. It was a normal saddle and this was scarcely a time for modesty. Luke vaulted onto his horse, kneeing it, and they took off up the Overland Stage Road at close to a full gallop. “We’re making too much noise,” she sent.
“Doesn’t matter. They’ll expect us to come after them.”
She clung to the horse with her legs, enjoying the feel of not having to ride sidesaddle. Luke’s horse was larger, faster, and soon pulled so far ahead she could barely see him. She kneed her horse, urging it to greater speed, but the animal shied, and then reared. Abigail struggled for balance and called magic to calm the spooked animal. Something sprang at her and knocked her to the ground. She sent killing magic to stop its heart, before realizing what it was. Panting, she crawled out from under a black and gray mad wolf with blood dribbling from its nostrils, and glanced warily about. Were there more of them?
Carolyn stepped from the shadows. It looked as if she was alone, but Abigail suspected otherwise. “What do you want?”
“Simple enough. I plan to use you to get rid of Breana Giraud—and others.” A sneer twisted the girl’s features into something unpleasant. “You think people don’t know you’re part of Coven government?”
Abigail set her mouth in a hard line. “Fine. So the other side knows about me. Question is, who are you really?”
“Don’t you recognize me?” Carolyn stepped closer and turned her face from side to side as if posing for a photographer. “I gave you my name, but I am far more than that.”
She’s arrogant. Perhaps I can use that in some way. Abigail spread her hands in a placating gesture. “Because I’m used to seeing you as Carolyn Giraud, I’m not certain who you are.” She paused for emphasis. “I’d like you to tell me.”
“Certainly.” A feral grin made the child look like something out of a nightmare. “It is always better to know who your adversary is.” Her voice became soft and silky. “I have access to magic you would kill for. You may not know it, but you’d like to work for us.” She laughed, but it sounded more like broken glass shattering against itself, than a twelve-year-old girl’s mirth. “We have real power, not that paltry tripe the Coven settles for.”
Abigail waited. When Carolyn didn’t say anything else, she said, “I’m listening…and considering your offer. Life is always better than the alternative.”
“Ha! They said you couldn’t be turned, but I told them they were wrong. I am The Promised, resurrected out of legend. Goody Osborne was but a start, and this little girl is merely a convenience.” Something like an outraged squawk followed the words, but Goody silenced Carolyn almost immediately. “What I really want is you, Abigail Ruskin.”
Shit! She couldn’t be The Promised… “You mean the Dark Messiah?” Abigail scrunched up her face and held her breath, hoping against hope she’d gotten it wrong.
“The same.” A supercilious expression etched into the girl’s features. “At least the other side has heard of me. Warms my black, black heart.”
“The books—?” Abigail hunted for a connection while she rode herd on terror that threatened to immobilize her, and clouded her judgment. If ever she needed a clear head, it was now, but her mind raced feverishly.
“They weren’t doing the girl’s parents any good moldering away in that underground chamber. I’d actually been searching for them for years.” She flashed a sly smile. “They used to be mine…”

http://www.anngimpel.com
http://anngimpel.blogspot.com
http://www.amazon.com/author/anngimpel
http://www.facebook.com/anngimpel.author
@AnnGimpel (for Twitter)

AnnGimpel
Short Bio:
Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent. Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing. A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Her longer books run the gamut from urban fantasy to paranormal romance. She’s published over 20 books to date, with several more contracted for 2014.

A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.

Long Bio:
Ann Gimpel is a mountaineer at heart. Recently retired from a long career as a psychologist, she remembers many hours at her desk where her body may have been stuck inside four walls, but her soul was planning yet one more trip to the backcountry. Around the turn of the last century (that would be 2000, not 1900!), she managed to finagle moving to the Eastern Sierra, a mecca for those in love with the mountains. It was during long backcountry treks that Ann’s writing evolved. Unlike some who see the backcountry as an excuse to drag friends and relatives along, Ann prefers solitude. Stories always ran around in her head on those journeys, sometimes as a hedge against abject terror when challenging conditions made her fear for her life, sometimes for company. Eventually, she returned from a trip and sat down at the computer. Three months later, a five hundred page novel emerged. Oh, it wasn’t very good, but it was a beginning. And, she learned a lot between writing that novel and its sequel.

Around that time, a friend of hers suggested she try her hand at short stories. It didn’t take long before that first story found its way into print and they’ve been accepted pretty regularly since then. One of Ann’s passions has always been ecology, so her tales often have a green twist.

In addition to writing, Ann enjoys wilderness photography. She lugs pounds of camera equipment in her backpack to distant locales every year. A standing joke is that over ten percent of her pack weight is camera gear which means someone else has to carry the food! That someone is her husband. They’ve shared a life together for a very long time. Children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out their family.

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Rue Allyn Interviews Sir Haven de Sessions

10 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by authormjflournoy in Edward I, historical romance, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Edward I, England, historical, Historical Romance, knight, Rue Allyn

TrueAndPerfectKnight-A300
“Getting to Know You”

Most of my author friends have characters who talk to them (mentally that is). I seem to be the exception to that rule. I write like I read, discovering the story and the characters as I go. Not until the book is finished (that’s after several rounds of revising) do I really have a handle on my characters, sometimes not even then. Frequently the characters hold something back. So I thought I’d give you and me a chance to pick the brain—so to speak—of one of my most reticent heroes, Sir Haven de Sessions from A True and Perfect Knight (recently re-issued from Samhain Publishing). Please say hello to Lord Haven de Sessions
1) What do you do for work?
I’m a knight in the service of Edward I of England. He recently rewarded my service with an Earlship.
2) Where are you from?
My parents lost their lands and lives during an uprising in Normandy where I was born, but I was fostered at the Dreyford demesne north of York.
3) What is the one thing about yourself that you would like us to know?
I am very serious—some say too serious—about my duty and had real difficulty when my loyalty to Edward I and my friendship with Roger Dreyford came into conflict.
4) When was your last relationship and how long did it last?
Before I met and came to know Genvieve very well, I didn’t have relationships. Most noblewomen, like those at court, are too shallow in their beliefs. Other women deserve more than I was willing to give.
5) Do you want to marry or have you ever been married?
I never expected to marry, and I’d say that Genvieve was the last person I could imagine falling in love with. But she’s so strong and cares for everyone equally. How could I not love her.
6) What do you do for fun?
I play with our children, hunt, and make love to Genvieve.
7) What are you most proud of?
My wife.
8) Do you believe in love at first sight?
No. Although I suspect I fell in love with Genvieve at first sight, I was blinded by prejudice and grief for the death of my friend Roger. He was Genvieve’s first husband, and I blamed her for his fall from grace.
9) What is your most treasured possession and why?
After my family, my horses. A good horse is essential to a knight and almost impossible to replace.
10) Do you like animals/keep pets? I value my horses and dogs highly but they are working animals. I don’t coddle them, so I wouldn’t call them pets.
11) How do you spend your spare time?
I’m too busy surviving and keeping my family secure to have spare time. (I told you I was serious.) Thank the Lord for Genvieve. She forces me to sit down and relax with some mead at least once a day.
12) Where do you see yourself in five years time?
I hope I’m just where I’m at. I can’t ask for more than a loving wife, good lands, good neighbors, peace and a just king.
13) Do you believe a cup is half empty or half full?
My metaphorical cup is overflowing. 
14) You have got six months to live, what will you do first?
Provide for the security of my wife and family.
15) Is sexual compatibility important to you?
It is very important.
16) Are you a morning person or a night person?
I’m always available, but I enjoy moments shared with my family most.
Thank you Lord de Sessions for taking the time to answer our questions.
“You’re welcome, Ms. Allyn, please tell readers a little bit about the story you gave me, A True and Perfect Knight.”
A True and Perfect Knight—Haven De Sessions knows a hundred reasons despise the widow Dreyford. The widow is entirely too independent, and a suspected traitor. Worst of all, she had been married to his best friend—a man Haven arrested for plotting against the king. Haven believes the treacherous widow should have given up her head, not his childhood friend. Now an oath to that same friend forces him to protect a woman he does not want and cannot trust.
Genvieve Dreyford has her own reasons to detest De Sessions. The man is far too handsome, and his reputation as Edward I’s most ‘true and perfect’ knight has swelled the baron’s head. Worst of all, Gennie believes he betrayed his friendship with her husband to curry favor with the English king. Now, because of Haven De Sessions, Gennie has lost her home, her title and nearly everything she held dear. Only for the sake of her family, will Gennie place herself in the power of a man she fears and mistrusts.
So why does King Edward I of England believe theirs will be a match made in heaven?
You can read an excerpt from A True and Perfect Knight at my website or purchase directly from Amazon.com.
About Rue Allyn

Author of historical, contemporary, and erotic romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. She is deliriously married to her sweetheart of many years and loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real life adventures. Learn more about Rue at http://RueAllyn.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/RueAllynAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RueAllyn
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031290.Rue_Allyn
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rue-Allyn/e/B00AUBF3NI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 [Good link for purchasing any or all Rue Allyn books]
Blog: http://rueallynauthorblog.com/

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