New Publication Spotlight & Extract: The Knight's Convenient Alliance by Melissa Oliver

The Knight's Convenient Alliance

BLURB

The only man who’s tempted her…Now poses as her husband!

When an injured knight arrives on Brida O’Conaill’s doorstep, the village assumes he’s her long-lost husband. But her only previous connection to Sir Thomas Lovent was an intense shared moment at a tournament years ago. Brida maintains the pretence while she nurses him, yet once he’s back to full, virile health, she cannot reveal Thomas is not her husband—or that she’s unmarried!—when everyone is expecting them to act like husband and wife…

EXTRACT

In this scene Thomas Lovent and Brida O’Conaill are forced to leave Kinnerton village suddenly, trying to avoid the Bishop of London’s men who are searching for Thomas...

It was quiet and thankfully no one had ventured to this part of the woods.

She pulled down a branch and pushed through as the path narrowed with the lush coppices and thickets on either side and Thomas following behind her.

This opened out to a running stream and there, on the other side, were two young horses tethered to a tree, with Cerwen’s grandson waiting beside them.

Her old friend had surpassed herself in the aid she had given them so that they could gain safe passage out of Kinnerton.

Once more Brida questioned the decision she had made in leaving with Thomas Lovent and felt a ripple of nervous tension run down her body. She hoped it was purely down to nerves, otherwise she might find herself in more trouble than she had bargained for.

‘Here, give me your hand, Brida.’ Thomas held out his hand, in an attempt to give her aid across the slippery stepping stones.

‘I can manage, thank you,’ she said as she tentatively stepped out on to the stones.

‘Are you angry with me, mistress?’ The corner of his mouth twitched a little as it curved, making her want to push him into the stream.

‘Can you honestly blame me?’

His half-smile faded as he shook his head. ‘No. You have every right to be. And if it makes you feel better, I am furious with myself for being so careless. Please believe me when I say that I do not usually behave in such a capricious, reckless manner.’

‘Rest easy, sir. We all make mistakes.’

‘True, and I have been making far too many recently.’ He followed her from behind as they crossed the stream. ‘I must also thank you for not exposing me back there. I hope that you might have faith that I am innocent of the charges I am accused of?’

‘I do.’ She sighed as she jumped off the other end. ‘You may be reprehensible in so, so many ways, Sir Thomas, but a murderer? Plotting against the Crown? No, that I cannot believe.’

‘I’m glad to have your support, at least.’ He nodded in gratitude. ‘And do you not think that we should drop formalities now? We are man and wife after all.’

‘How could I forget?’ A faint smile played on her lips.

He helped her mount the smaller palfrey, sending a rush of heat where his large hands had flexed around her waist. She looked away, hoping he hadn’t noticed as he saw to his own mount. ‘Indeed. So please call me Thomas or, better still, Tom.’

‘Very well, Tom, on one condition.’ She turned her head back around to meet his perceptive gaze. ‘Tell me, why are you a wanted man?’

PURCHASE LINKS

@MillsandBoon - https://bit.ly/3txlhol

@HarlequinBooks -https://bit.ly/3jNRAvO 

Amazon UK- https://amzn.to/3haohBT 

Amazon US- https://amzn.to/3kWAMlL

AUTHOR BIO

Melissa Oliver is from south-west London where she writes historical romance novels. She lives with her lovely husband and daughters, who share her passion for decrepit, old castles, palaces and all things historical.

Melissa is the WINNER of The Romantic Novelist Association's Joan Hessayon Award for new writers 2020 for her debut, The Rebel Heiress and the Knight.

When she's not writing she loves to travel for inspiration, paint, and visit museums & art galleries.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter @melissaoauthor

Facebook @melissaoliverauthor

https://www.instagram.com/melissaoliverauthor/?hl=en

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway to Win 3 x PB copies of The Knight's Convenient Alliance (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.


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New Publication Spotlight & Extract: The Viking's Stolen Princess by Sarah Rodi

The Viking's Stolen Princess by Sarah Rodi

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A kidnapped royal…

Could be the Viking's undoing!

After Brand Ivarsson of Kald abducts Anne of Termarth on the eve of her wedding, the Viking’s consumed with only one thing: revenge against her loathsome betrothed. But confronted with the stunning princess, so foreign to his world, Brand’s captivated not only by her beauty, but by her spirit and her kindness. Is Anne his prisoner…or is she the one who’s captured his scarred heart?

EXTRACT

Brand the Barbarian, a Viking who has settled in England, has kidnapped the Princess Anne of Termarth. Her betrothed killed his father and Brand is after for revenge. On their journey back to Brand’s fortress, they are surrounded by Saxon soldiers in the forest…

He tugged the Princess further into the undergrowth and gently released his hand from her mouth. ‘Don’t say a word.’

His hard hips pinned her against a tree, securing her to him, chest to chest, thigh to thigh, with his palms on the bark either side of her head. Her beautiful green eyes blazed up at him. Skit, up close she was even more stunning. Her skin was so pale and perfect, without even the smallest blemish, and her delicately arched eyebrows and long eyelashes looked as if they’d been spun with silk.

His eyes dipped to her full, lush mouth, which he realised he’d never seen curve into a smile. He really wanted to see that—to see her use those cherry-blossom-pink lips move in a display of warmth towards him. She had shown him kindness once, and he believed it was that which had stopped him from being entirely poisoned by his need for revenge.

‘Your Royal Highness, it’s Giraldus. Are you there?’ the man called out into the forest.

Brand stilled.

He heard Rebel snort, and with a shift of annoyance realised his faithful steed was now in enemy hands. He vowed to himself he would get his animal back when the time was right. But that had been close—it could have been them. Now they would have to cover the rest of the ground to Kald on foot.

‘Hand the Princess over, Dane, and you will not be harmed. There’s nowhere to go.’

Brand needed to focus. To weigh up the situation. But he was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything but the nearness of Anne. Her breath was coming in bursts against his throat… He noticed her usually pale skin was flushed and her gorgeous big green eyes were dilated… The air surrounding them felt charged as he continued to stare down at her.

His chest was almost pressing against hers… Was she as aware of him as he was of her?

‘You should give me up,’ she whispered. ‘I will go to them and you can run. I won’t tell them who you are or where you are going. I promise I won’t let them hurt you…’

Brand’s brow furrowed. Even now, at her most vulnerable as his prisoner, how could her thoughts be for him and not on escaping her situation? She was offering him freedom—despite the fact he’d kidnapped her. Well, she was a much better person than him—because there was no way he could let her go…not yet… He needed to see this through.

Brand felt her hand on his chest and stared down at her delicate fingers. It was the first time she’d touched him of her own accord, and his skin burned under her grip. He felt like a bull in silk chains. But his intuition, honed from years of fighting, told him she was about to push him away, as he’d done to his horse. She was about to make her location known to those men.

‘Brand—’

No!

Instinctively, he lowered his head and covered her lips with his to stop her from making another sound. The moment his firm lips captured hers, his traitorous body gave up the battle it had been fighting since the moment he’d seen her again and all thoughts of the soldiers drifted away.

It was the little gasp that came from the back of her throat that did it—that allowed him to glide his tongue inside her mouth in a hot, silky, sensual tour. He waited for her to pull back, to struggle, but the hands that had been about to push him away instead splayed out against his chest, and the smouldering rage he’d felt when he’d realised she was about to run to those men was transmuted into desire.

He drove his mouth down onto hers as his fingers twisted into the tangled mess of her hair. Her head tipped back into his hands and he angled her for better access, deepening the intensity of the kiss. He felt her whole body tremble as she surrendered with a backward sway, desperately clinging to his chainmail vest, and a spark of triumph shot through his body, right down to his groin.

The sound of galloping hooves leaving the forest and the feel of vibrations on the ground beneath their feet broke through the moment, helping him to recover his sanity. He stared down at her, his breathing ragged.

With fierce urgency she disentangled herself, finally pushing him away as she’d originally intended, dragging her hands over her face in flustered dismay.

‘What was that? What on earth do you think you’re doing?’ she gasped. Her cheeks were a pretty shade of pink, her eyes wide with stunned alarm.

He shoved his tunic sleeves up his arms and ran a hand over his beard. ‘I couldn’t have you crying out to your father’s servant, now, could I?’ he said, backing away from her. ‘It was the only way I could get you to be quiet.’

Her fingers flew up to her mouth as if he’d burned her. ‘Never do that again!’ she fumed, more than a little unsteady on her feet. She momentarily closed her eyes in what appeared to be an effort to keep calm and regain her composure.

Skit, he’d had no right to touch her. None! But he needed her to know he was a man who would do what was necessary, didn’t he?

‘No need to read anything into it, Highness,’ he said, trying to shrug it off as if it was nothing. ‘It was just a little kiss. Put it down as a mistake—one I won’t be making again. And besides,’ he added, ‘we have bigger things to worry about. We’re going to have to make the rest of the journey by foot. Can you walk, or do I need to throw you over my shoulder and carry you?’

‘I’ll walk!’ she bit out, stumbling away from him. ‘Just don’t touch me! Don’t ever touch me again!’

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B096TBKQ7D

Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096TBKQ7D

AUTHOR SOCIAL MEDIA LINK

Twitter - https://twitter.com/sarahrodiedits