Release Day Launch for 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Twelve...

So many reasons to celebrate today....  And one of those reasons to celebrate is the publication of 1001 Dark Night: Bundle Twelve.  It’s a steamy collection that  introduces readers to Discovery Authors Nazarea Andrews and Megan Erickson and contains 6 novellas, including novellas from New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Lorelei James, and Lara Adrian.  Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of this multi-genre collection then add it to your bookshelf!

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Lorelei James, Lara Adrian, and introducing Nazarea Andrews and Megan Erickson. Six Dark Tales. Six Sensual Stories. Six Page Turners.
KAYDEN:  A Bayou Heat Novella by Alexandra Ivy
Kayden is obsessed with revenge after his parents disappeared when he was just a cub. Now the gorgeous Hunter has discovered the man responsible for betraying them – Joshua Ford – and it’s time for payback. Beginning with the kidnapping of Joshua’s daughter, Bianca. But last thing he expects is to be confronted with the horrifying realization that Bianca is his mate. Will he put revenge before his chance for eternal happiness?
SIMON:  A Bayou Heat Novella by Laura Wright
Sexy male model, Simon refuses to give up his exciting life in New York City to return to the slow heat of the Wildlands. For a decade, many pantera have tried to capture the rogue Diplomat and bring him home, but all have failed. Now it’s Tryst’s turn. The hard, brilliant, and gorgeous, Hunter is the ultimate tracker. But can the admitted beast-girl of the Wildlands capture her prey without losing her heart in the process?
STRUNG UP:  A Blacktop Cowboys Novella by Lorelei James
Rancher Creston Grant retreats from the world after he loses the love of his life….Can his former flame, rodeo cowboy Breck Christianson prove he’s a changed man who can give Cres a second chance at love?
MIDNIGHT UNTAMED:  A Midnight Breed Novella by Lara Adrian
For Breed warrior Ettore Selvaggio, stealth assassinations are only one of his specialties. The last thing Savage expects to find behind enemy lines is a woman he once adored. It’s been years since Savage last saw Arabella Genova. Years he’s strived to banish to his past, along with the fierce desire he once felt toward Bella and the irresistible calling of her blood that stirs in him even now, despite the fact that she belongs to another male.
DIRTY SEXY SECRET by Nazarea Andrews
Even when you know better...
There are a million reasons why Hazel Campton is off limits: she’s a journalist.
I’m a cop. Oh, and she’s my foster sister.
My secret is I didn’t care. I haven’t stopped wanting her since I slept with her the night before she left.
She’s trouble. Always has been.
It’s hard to resist the thing you’ve always wanted...
Growing up with Brandon Archer means I know him. Good. Bad. Everything in between.
It’s just never mattered.
My secret? That night. The one I stole, that’s kept me from Archer and Green County, for four years.
Now I’m home, and nothing has changed. Except me. And not in the way that means a damn thing.
Because I still want him.
Everything can change with a knock at the door...
Secrets. Everyone has them. Archer. Me. This town.
Perfection only runs surface deep in Green County. When there’s a knock at me door, it’s a familiar face all covered in danger, and all those secrets we hide?
They’re about to come tumbling out.
BITE THE HAND THAT BLEEDS by Megan Erickson
Roxy heads below the streets of Mission City to a vampire club, determined to give up her blood in exchange for much-needed cash. She has no idea that the handsome, brooding vampire she meets there will awaken desires she didn't know she had, and will change her life forever...

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON (US)  |  AMAZON (UK)  |  AMAZON (CA)  |  AMAZON (AU)

AUTHOR INFO:

ALEXANDRA IVY is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Alexandra: “I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library.

Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

LAURA WRIGHT is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Laura: “Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago – my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another – then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood – tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.”

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK

LORELEI JAMES is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary erotic western romances set in the modern day Wild West and also contemporary erotic romances. Lorelei’s books have been nominated for and won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s choice Award, as well as the CAPA Award. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota with her family…and a whole closet full of cow girl boots.

From Lorelei: “Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.”

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

LARA ADRIAN is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author of the Midnight Breed vampire romance series and seven award-winning, historical romances, previously released under the pen name Tina St. John.

Lara’s Midnight Breed series is available in hardcover, mass market paperback and e-book through Random House, and in limited edition through Doubleday Book Club, Rhapsody Book Club, Book of The Month, and the Science Fiction Book Club. Unabridged audio editions are available through Tantor Media, Random House Audio, Amazon, iTunes, etc. Lara’s new releases regularly appear on all of the key bestseller lists including including the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Indiebound, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc. There are more than 2 million copies of the Midnight Breed novels in print in the United States.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

NAZAREA ANDREWS (N to almost everyone) is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. Which means she writes everything from zombies and dystopia to contemporary love stories.

When not writing, she can most often be found driving her kids to practice and burning dinner while she reads, or binge watching TV shows on Netflix. N loves chocolate, wine, and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids.

N is a self-professed geek and enjoys spending her spare time lost in her favorite fandoms and can often be found babbling about them on social media.

She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, spoiled cat and overgrown dog. She is the author of World Without End series, Neverland Found, Edge of the Falls, and The University of Branton Series. Stop by her twitter and tell her what fantastic book she should read next.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

MEGAN ERICKSON is a USA Today bestselling author of romance that sizzles. Her books have a touch of nerd, a dash of humor, and always have a happily ever after. A former journalist, she switched to fiction when she decided she likes writing her own endings better.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her very own nerdy husband and two kids. Although rather fun-sized, she's been told she has a full-sized personality. When Megan isn't writing, she's either lounging with her two cats named after John Hughes characters or... thinking about writing.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

Book Blitz for Lovers Like Us by Krista and Becca Ritchie (GIVEAWAY)

Close quarters leads to lots of sexual tension and a bit of suspense in this m/m romance that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Lovers Like Us by Krista and Becca Ritchie, then add it to your bookshelf.  In honor of this second installment in the Like Us series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a signed print copy of the first book in this series along with a $50 Amazon GC!

Twenty-seven-year-old Farrow Keene lives by his actions, and his actions say he’s the best at whatever he does. As a 24/7 bodyguard and the new boyfriend to Maximoff Hale, protecting the headstrong, alpha billionaire has never been more complicated. And one rule can’t be bent:
Keep your relationship secret from the public.
Farrow is confident he’s the best man for the job. But a twist in Maximoff’s fast-paced life sticks them with the rest of Security Force Omega and their clients.
On the road.
In a sleeper tour bus.
For four rocky months.
Sexual frustrations, check. Road trip drama, check. Awkward bonding, check.
But Farrow couldn’t have accounted for a high-risk threat (identity: unknown) that targets Maximoff before the ignition even turns. And it hits Farrow — someone has it out for the guy he loves.
Every day, Maximoff & Farrow’s feelings grow stronger, and together, they’ll either sink or swim.

EXCERPT:

Proactively waiting isn’t my thing. I can admit that. So when Farrow unwraps a piece of gum and tugs open the fridge, I ask him, “Need help?”

He chews his gum slowly and glances at me in a way that reminds me he’s twenty-seven. I’m twenty-two, and he’s more than capable to do shit himself.

Farrow starts to smile. “It’s cute that you think I need help getting eggs.” He grabs a carton and kicks the fridge closed.

“You could’ve dropped the fucking eggs.” I’m fighting a stupid battle. And I grimace-smile which makes me want to poke my own eyes out.

Farrow pops his gum. “You mean you would’ve dropped the eggs.”

“Did I? Pretty sure I meant you could’ve.”

Farrow sets the carton by the sink. “I have steadier hands than you.” He leans close and whispers huskily, “You’re not beating me at this.”

I shake my head on instinct. When it comes to Farrow, boyfriend or not, I don’t want to concede that fast. “It’s not proven yet.”

He rolls his eyes into a smile. “Hold out your hand.”

I extend my hand, palm-down. Wondering how he can discern any shake just by sight.

Farrow rotates my wrist. “Like this.” And then he smashes an egg right in my palm.

Don’t smile at him. Don’t smile at him. “Thanks for that,” I say sarcastically, hand dripping in broken eggshell and yolk.

“Anytime.” He laughs, and I act quickly and wipe the runny egg onto his black V-neck, feeling the ridges of his six-pack beneath.

Farrow props his elbows on the sink and actually lets me use his shirt as a towel, even while he’s wearing the thing. Christ.

He’s a Grade A sexy asshole.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  iBOOKS

PREVIOUS BOOK IN THE LIKE US SERIES...

DAMAGED LIKE US

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  iBOOKS

AUTHOR’S INFO:

Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. Now in their early twenties, they write about other twenty-somethings navigating through life, college, and romance. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love. They are the New Adult authors of the Addicted series and Calloway Sisters spin-off series, and you can find them on almost every social media, frolicking around like wannabe unicorns.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE  |  NEWSLETTER

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Wishing all of you a very safe and Happy Halloween!

Book Tour for Christmas, Alabama by Susan Sands (GIVEAWAY)

With the holidays just around the corner I’m thrilled to introduce you to this festive and romantic tale of coming home and starting over.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Christmas, Alabama by Susan Sands, with its small town romance of neighbors fighting their attraction, then discover more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this fourth installment in the Alabama series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $20 Amazon GC too!

Photographer Rachel Prudhomme has finally settled in Ministry, Alabama. Sure, the pace is slower, and she’s had her heart blessed more times than she can count, but putting down her roots where her family is feels right, if only the town’s new doctor, and now neighbor, weren’t so hot and constantly igniting her dreams. How can she keep her vow to steer clear of men when he keeps sauntering across her path?

EXCERPT:

Nick’s current challenge was convincing Sally Jo Jordan that indeed she did not have skin cancer.

“But I looked on that medical website online and it showed a mole that looked just like this one.” She unbuttoned her blouse to expose ample cleavage in a very sexy black lace push-up bra. And yes, there was a mole. “Momma says it’s my beauty mark, but I’m worried about skin cancer, you know?”

“I know the Internet can be a scary place when it comes to researching medical conditions. This mole is what we call a benign neoplasm, which means it shows no signs of being cancerous. It’s perfectly round and symmetrical, with regular borders. It’s not terribly dark in color, and shows no signs of flaking, oozing, or bleeding.”

Sally Jo blinked at him, showing no real sign of comprehension. “So, I don’t have cancer? Are you sure you don’t want to have a closer look?” She shoved her chest closer.

He wore a pair of lighted, magnified glasses, or loupes, to get a good look at the not-at-all suspicious brown mole, which basically put his face in her bosom. Nick now pushed the loupes from his eyes down, and around his neck. “You can button your blouse now. If you still have concerns, I can give you a referral to see a dermatologist,” he said.

Just then, his eyes met Nurse Georgie’s and she was clearly holding in her hysterical laughter with every ounce of control she possessed—just barely.

“Have you eaten the casserole I sent?” Sally Jo asked, completely changing the subject.

“Um, I’m having it for dinner this evening. Thanks for the welcome.” He didn’t mention that he was sharing it with Rachel.

“I’ve been waiting to hear from you.” She wore a pout on her full lips, her blouse still open.

He turned away and made a point of noting something in her chart instead of continuing to peer at the woman’s near- naked chest. “It’s been pretty busy since I started here, but I do appreciate your kindness. It helps not having to cook.”

“You’ll let me know how you like it, won’t you? It’s my granny’s recipe,” Sally Jo said.

“Um, sure. I’ll return your dish as soon as I finish with it.”

“My number’s on the bottom of the dish. Don’t break it. Granny’s had that dish since she got it with Green Stamps when her and Granddaddy got married. So, it’s special, you know.”

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  KOBO  |  iBOOKS

AUTHOR INFO:

I grew up in Northwest Louisiana, but have strong Cajun roots (Southern Louisiana) on both sides of my family. I live in the Atlanta suburbs with my dentist husband and near-adult children, plus a few furry creatures.

I love to cook and I adore food. I play tennis, but don’t exercise nearly enough. I write Southern romantic women’s fiction. It’s a rare day when I run short of words. I’m a member of the Atlanta Writer’s Club, Georgia Romance Writers, and Romance Writers of America. I’m represented by Erin Niumata at Folio Literary Management.

I visit book clubs, bookstores, libraries, and literary festivals whenever I’m invited! I love to connect with readers!

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE  |  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Book Spotlight on Highland Dragon Rebel by Isabel Cooper (GIVEAWAY)

Readers will find themselves drawn to this epic love story full of edge of your seat action and set in a fantasy-fueled world.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of the historical romance Highland Dragon Rebel by Isabel Cooper, then count down the days until its November 7th release date.  In honor of this second installment in the Dawn of the Highland Dragon series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win 1 of 3 copies of the first book in this series too!

By wing, by claw
By fire, by death
So long as dragons rule the skies, Scotland will forever be free.

After a long and bloody war, Scotland has finally won its independence. But Highland dragon Moiread MacAlasdair knows peace balances on the edge of a blade, and she will do anything to keep her homeland from falling to English control.

Even if that means escorting a powerful new ally into the otherworld itself…and defending him with her life.

Madoc of Avandos is on a critical mission to cement alliances against the British. Powerful men would kill to see him fail—but as he and his fiercely beautiful warrior fight their way through hostile lands, Madoc is faced with a difficult choice: sacrifice everything for the cause…or let himself burn for the love of a dragon.

EXCERPT:

“You’ll only have to do this the first time,” Moiread said. She sat tailor-fashion on a flattish stone. The brook at her side rushed loudly, swollen with the spring rains. “After, it’ll just be a matter of saying the words. It’s a compact you’re making, like most spells, though I’ve not heard of anything coming in person to agree. Too minor.”

“It’s rare that they do,” Madoc agreed, “or at least rare that they show themselves for it.”

Magic, or most magic, was a matter of talking directly to the forces of the world: the spirits of those forces in the oldest tales, the demons or angels governing their spheres in more modern lore. All spells invoked, most indirectly. Madoc had never been present for an actual summoning. When he was thinking sensibly, he was glad of that. Everything he’d learned said that even the holy ones would frighten the bravest man.

“Good,” said Moiread, evidently sharing his thoughts. “Here.”

She held out a twig of yew, dark needles and bright-red berries attached. In the last village they’d passed through, Moiread had taken them by a churchyard and stopped long enough to break the twig off the tree, which, as in many villages, grew by the gate.

“Now,” she went on, when Madoc had taken the twig, “hold it up and repeat after me.”

Slowly Moiread began, in Latin as good as any priest’s. “In the names of Gabriel, Amariel, Nargeron, and Almighty God, I call upon you, O powers of the worlds. I invoke you, and by invoking, I command you to grant me sight of the union of the spheres. Part the veil that blinds mortal eyes and give me to see the subtle workings of the world, now and whensoever I should invoke it again.”

As Madoc followed her lead, he felt power gathering. It wasn’t much—as Moiread had said, this was a minor spell—but the earth and the air both shifted, as if he could feel them being drawn slightly toward the yew twig. The twig itself began to feel both heavier and less present. Madoc was half worried that his fingers would go through it. In the sun at midday, it was hard to see, but he also thought it glowed. Moiread nodded. “Now crush the berries. Close your eyes, and smear them on your lids.”

The sliminess Madoc had expected lasted barely a moment. Then it turned to a cool tingling across his closed eyelids and, in another heartbeat, vanished. His skin felt untouched.

“And open.”

Madoc did, and caught his breath. He was no stranger to magic, but never had he been able to see the whole world through such entirely different eyes.

A faint haze hung above the grass and trees, a paler shadow of their natural green. The rocks and road looked normal, though their colors were deeper than they had been a moment ago. Madoc looked to the horses, peacefully cropping new grass a few feet away, and saw that each of them glowed a shade of brown: the steady darkness of wheat bread for Moiread’s horse and a slightly lighter color for Rhuddem.

Madoc raised a hand in front of his face. His fingers shone red, shot through with streaks of silver. He flexed them, and the colors shifted accordingly.

“By God,” he said. “This is truly a lovely art you’ve shown me.”

“Useful, at times. But aye,” Moiread said admittedly, “rather beautiful too, in its way.”

She was beautiful. The spell stripped her of her illusion. Her hair lengthened slightly, her figure swelled and narrowed, and her face became a shade more delicate, so that a young-looking woman in men’s clothing sat facing him. In the world of the spell, a pattern of dancing lights played across her body, like diamonds set onto the crisp blue that washed over her skin.

In this world, her shadow was nothing remotely human. Two vast wings stretched out behind her, the brook running through their shade. When she tilted her head to watch him, the shape of an immense head, on a serpentine neck, separated itself from the larger shadow and turned toward Madoc. The same pattern of lights glittered in the shadow. Mayhap it would have been sensible for Madoc to fear her then, but he wished only that he had more time to sit and watch her.

“A bit revealing, aye?” Moiread asked, clearly aware of where he was looking. To his relief, she sounded amused. “That is why we don’t generally teach the spell. We didn’t come up with it, but we’ve enough luck that not many know it.”

“Do you care so greatly for concealment?”

She shrugged a shoulder. “It’s no great peril, in my view of things, to be found out. There are already those who know what we are and speak of it with varying degrees of truth. Once more knew, or we were more willing to admit it, or both.”

“What happened?”

“To us? Time and duty. The world gets fuller. A clan turns from hunting to farming, and it’s no’ such great use for its laird to spend his days flying in dragon shape. Less use still in court, and we must go there to be part of the greater world, to lead a clan rather than a tribe in a cave. Our sires have other duties, and we as well. Our foes have magic of their own. Dragon shape is no sure victory.”

“I have heard that,” said Madoc, “and seen a little too. Only ran into one sorcerer myself.”

“We’ve not fought them often, no’ directly. The English magic turns more toward enchanted weapons”—she rubbed her calf, wincing in memory—“ or strengthening castles. Crafty spells.”

“Like the one I’m doing?” Madoc asked, speaking the words that courtesy would have Moiread avoid.

“No shame in taking a weapon from your foe,” said Moiread. “We may have fought the people we learned this from”—she gestured around her, indicating the world revealed—“ or we may fight them in the years to come. I’m still glad to have it.”

“So am I.”

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  SOURCEBOOKS

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Spotlight on Third Son’s a Charm by Shana Galen (GIVEAWAY)

Fans of Regency romances will find themselves captivated by this exhilarating tale of a former soldier whose job of bodyguarding a duke’s daughter leads to complications and unexpected love.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Third Son’s a Charm by Shana Galen, then count down the days until this book releases on November 7th.  In honor of this first installment in The Survivors series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a prize pack of books from Ms. Galen’s backlist and a wine charm too!

Ewan Mostyn thinks a job as a duke’s daughter’s bodyguard will be easy—but Lady Lorraine has a few tricks up her sleeve that spark an undeniable passion.
Fiercely loyal to his friends and comrades, Ewan Mostyn is the toughest in a group of younger sons of nobility who met as soldiers and are now trying desperately to settle back into peaceful Society. Ewan trusts his brawn more than his brains, but when he’s offered a job watching the Duke of Ridlington’s stubbornly independent daughter, he finds both are challenged.
Lady Lorraine wants none of her father’s high-handed ways, and she’ll do everything in her power to avoid her distressingly attractive bodyguard—until she lands herself in real trouble. Lorraine begins to see Ewan’s protectiveness in a new light, and she can only hope that her stoic guardian will do for her what he’s always done—fight for what he loves.

EXCERPT:

(When Ewan Mostyn is waylaid by Prinny, Lady Loraine uses the distraction to escape from her bodyguard’s watchful eye.)

The next time Ewan saw Rafe he would give him a black eye. Whatever had possessed Beaumont to tell the prince regent so many damned tales about the exploits of The Expendables? About half of them were mostly true and the other half were truly fiction. Each had a kernel of fact—a location where the men had encountered trouble or a strategy they had used to outwit the frogs—but Ewan could hardly spend all night untangling Rafe’s embellishments.

As it was, he was uninteresting enough that the regent finally sought other amusements, but it took a good half hour for the prince to tire of Ewan’s one word answers. In all that time, Ewan barely kept his tone or his manner civil. Where the hell had Lady Lorraine gone? With a victorious smile, she’d melted away into the fawning sycophants that comprised the regent’s entourage. Ewan had been powerless to stop her, and now he’d been separated from her quite long enough for any number of men, not the least of which was his cousin, to abduct, harass, or ruin her.

Ewan looked for her among the dancers first. That was where she should have been. She had promised dances to no less than a flock of men, and Ewan had anticipated standing about the entire night, watching her twirl and flutter her lashes.

He stood on the side of the dance floor and studied the dancers, looking for her. He’d barely been there a moment before a man stepped in front of him. With a growl, Ewan glared at him.

“You are Ewan Mostyn, are you not?” the man asked, his face breaking into a smile that showed his crooked teeth. He had dark hair, a long nose, and small eyes.

Ewan inclined his head.

“Lord Basil Dottinger.” The man bowed. “We were at school together.”

Ewan merely stared at him. He’d gone to school when he was seven. He’d been there only a year before he was sent home. The excuse had been fighting, but all the boys fought at school. Everyone knew the real reason Ewan was expelled: he was unteachable.

“Do you remember me? We sat at the same table for meals.”

Ewan shook his head.

“Well, you wouldn’t. You didn’t stay long. Did your parents enroll you in another school?”

“No,” Ewan said. Heat prickled the back of his neck. The old humiliation washed over him again. This was why he avoided social engagements. He would never measure up to what the son of an earl should be. He was a dolt and a failure at so many things that came easily to other boys. And now he must stand here and have it thrown in his face. And he couldn’t even punch the man because the bloody Prince Regent would scream and faint at the sight of blood.

“Why not?” Lord Basil asked, but Ewan did not miss the sly smile on his lips. He knew why not. They all did.

“Go away.” Ewan turned his attention back to the dance floor and ignored Lord Basil. After a few more seemingly innocent questions that received no response, the man did go away. He retreated to a spot within earshot of Ewan and made jests to his friends at Ewan’s expense.

“Was he as much a dolt as you remember?”

“He can barely string two words together.”

“Poor fellow. I heard his father disowned him.”

“He’s only here tonight because the Duke of Ridlington paid Prinny to receive him.”

Ewan stiffened. That wasn’t true, was it? He felt his breath grow short, and the heat that burned his neck washed over his face. He wanted to storm out or to turn and fling each man through one of the windows. As he could do neither, he took a deep breath and balled all the pain into a tight knot.

Control. Restraint. Those traits had kept him alive in the war. This was just a different sort of battle.

Ewan forced his attention back to the dance floor. He could not waste his time with these petty men and their small worlds. Who the devil cared if they whispered about him or if Ridlington paid the Regent to receive him? He was here for a purpose, and at the moment, he couldn’t find her.

Lady Lorraine was not on the dance floor, where she should have been, and he was obliged to seek her elsewhere. He tried the area set aside for supper room and that for cards with no luck. If she’d had any sort of compassion at all, she would have taken up residence in the supper room where all sorts of delicacies had been laid out to refresh famished guests before the actual meal commenced sometime in the middle of the night or wee hours of the morning. But Ewan had only enough time to snatch a biscuit and a glass of champagne, which he downed like water, before he had to search elsewhere.

And the elsewhere was obviously to be one of three locations—the lawns, the house itself, or the ladies’ retiring room. Heaven help her if she had allowed Francis or any other man to take her to the back of the house. If the chit got herself ruined on his watch he would throttle her.

Ewan couldn’t search the ladies’ retiring room by himself, so he opted to begin searching the lawns. He stepped out onto the terrace where he’d last spoken with her, walked its length quickly and swore when he did not spot her. She was in the damn house, and now he would have to murder whichever man had led her there.

He’d turned to do just that when the breeze carried the sound of a light, tinkling laugh his way.

Ewan turned back and peered out into the dark shadows cast by trees whose branches blew gently in the wind. The night was cold, and the prince had obviously thought the guests would prefer to stay close to the warmth of the conservatory and the myriad entertainments therein because other than the sconces lining the building and the path back to the house, he had not ordered any other means of light for the lawn or park. Consequently, Ewan could see nothing but tree trunks, the stubby shadows of bushes, and the vague outline of topiaries a little further away. Surely, Lady Lorraine would not have ventured into the gloomy, cold night. She had been wearing a flimsy white dress that bared her neck and enough of her bosom to force him to look away before he looked closer. The sleeves had been little puffs and her gold wrap was so insubstantial that he wondered why she bothered with it at all.

The laughter he’d heard might have come from any woman who had sought privacy with her lover in the shadows, but Ewan had to be certain it was not his charge. He would rather apologize to the couple for interrupting their tryst than to the Duke of Ridlington for losing his daughter.

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AUTHOR INFO:

Shana Galen is the bestselling author of fast-paced adventurous Regency historicals, including the RT Reviewers' Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Booklist says, "Galen expertly entwines espionage-flavored intrigue with sizzling passion," and RT Bookreviews calls her "a grand mistress of the action/adventure subgenre." She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She's happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making.

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