Adriana Kraft

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Out Now! A Little More Hope, by Pauley J Ray #Giveaway #LGBTQ @GayBookPromo #GayRomance #excerpt

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RELEASE BLITZ

 

Book Title: A Little More Hope (Hot Property, Book Two)

Author: Pauley J Ray

Publisher: NineStar Press

Cover Artist: Jaycee DeLorenzo

Release Date: July 18, 2023

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Bi awakening, Emotional scars

Themes: Overcoming adversity, loss, rejection

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 87 900 words/525 pages

This is book two of a four-book series. Each book concentrates on a different main character from the four owners of a successful construction company. Successive books will include spoilers from the previous ones if the books are not read in order.

This story does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads – Book 1

 

Buy Links

NineStar Press | Amazon UK Author Page | Amazon US Author Page

 

Your heart must believe there is hope before you can believe there is love

 

Blurb

After a vicious assault leaves him a virtual recluse, businessman Mason Wilder escapes to his friend’s beach house in the small seaside town of Melrose Bay to heal and come to terms with the shadow of the man he has become.

When Ashton Michaels, wanderer, surfer, loner, unexpectedly inherits a rundown shack of a house, he must decide: keep running from his disastrous past relationships or return to the place he loves, finally put down some roots, and learn to live life with all its consequences.

After a chance encounter with his elusive next-door neighbor, Ash can see Mason is hurting and it releases his protective, caring side and he knows he’ll do anything he can to aid the handsome, broken man in such desperate need of help.

Mason initially resists the offer of help from Ash, but the guy is persistent and for reasons he can’t figure out, Mason feels drawn to him. When Ash decides to keep and renovate his new home, impulsively Mason joins him and in the process of rebuilding the house, Mason begins to rebuild his life and confront his fears.
He must also learn to come to terms with his unexpected attraction to a man for the first time in his life. Ash is a solid, comforting, and caring presence and offers Mason everything he’s been searching for since his brutal attack.

Ash is falling hard for the quiet and troubled man he’s spending all his time with but is worried the past will only repeat itself and Mason will leave him all alone like everyone else.

Can Mason finally put his demons to rest to move forward with his life and will Ash be able prevent his fear of being left behind from ruining his chance at love?

 

Excerpt

Mason

“It’s late. I should go, and you need to rest,” he stuttered, his eyes looking anywhere but at me.

I hastily stood, then gripped him around the upper arm. Not restrictive, but enough to keep him from moving. He stiffened but didn’t pull away. “Please don’t go.” I placed my other hand on the side of his neck. His eyelids fluttered briefly shut and a light tremor ran through his body under my palm.

“I’m sorry if I unsettled you. It’s just— I’ve— It’s—” I sighed, trying to explain. “I haven’t let anyone hold me since the attack. Not friends or family. I haven’t wanted to.” I waited until his eyes opened and stormy green focused on my own. “You’re the first I’ve allowed.”

He stared at me for the longest time before whispering, “Why?”

I thought about his question, trying to work the answer out in my head, why Ash’s touch and only his didn’t make my skin crawl. I’d attributed my repulsion to being touched to the associated feeling of terror when my assailants dragged me into the filthy dark alley. I knew the difference, obviously, but couldn’t get past the feeling whenever someone tried to put their hands on me.

I shrugged. “I’m not sure I understand why,” I admitted, “but your touch is different. It calms me, grounds me, makes everything okay, and I haven’t felt that way in a very long time.”

If ever.

I lowered my eyes at revealing that last piece of information, but I’d spoken the truth, nonetheless. “I don’t want you to stop.” I almost begged him, not wanting to relinquish this small piece of comfort I had in my life, the single ray of light in the never-ending darkness.

The shy grin crossing Ash’s face at my words lit me up inside like a beacon. Releasing himself from my hold, his hands moved to rest lightly on my waist as he stepped closer, making our bodies touch.

“This okay?” he asked, his voice gravelly.

Strong arms circled around my lower back to pull me closer, and a shudder shook my whole body as I reveled in the feel of him, of being in his embrace. My own arms mirrored his, sliding up and over his shoulder blades, his taut muscles rippling under my fingers.

“Yeah,” I managed, as he hugged me tighter, yet remaining careful of putting any pressure on my ribs.

He shifted slightly, and my crotch rubbed against his thigh, sending ripples of pleasure straight to my cock, now thickening rapidly in my shorts and shocking the hell out of me. I hadn’t been able to get hard once since the attack, and I was unprepared for the suddenness of getting an erection. Being so close to someone after all this time must be overloading my senses, as I couldn’t find any other explanation for what was happening to me.

Unable to stop, I pushed my hips against his leg, the pressure of his firm thigh on my hardening dick sending my pulse rocketing, bombarding me with sparks of desire.

 

About the Author

Pauley J Ray writes contemporary MM romantic fiction. His books contain sexy yet complicated and flawed characters searching for their own happily ever after.

When not writing, he can’t wait to get outdoors, and with his husband, go hiking, camping, and travel everywhere they can, as often as they can.

With his husband’s job taking them all over the world, he now gets to write all day, every day, and he’s never happier than when sat at his laptop creating new stories about gorgeous and sexy men.

Except when there’s coffee…ooh and chocolate…yes, he’s way happier when there’s coffee and chocolate!

 

Social Media Links

Blog/Website | Facebook

Twitter | Instagram

 

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a $20 Amazon eGift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

The Best of Both Worlds ~ Author H. K. Carlton is today’s guest at Sweet ‘N Sexy Divas @AuthorHKCarlton #polyamourous #mff #eroticromance #LGBTQ

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My blog guest today at Sweet ‘N Sexy Divas is H. K. Carlton. I’ve long admired the power and range of her stories. Once you plunge into the personal story she’s sharing today, I promise you won’t be able to put it down – just like the fiction that’s risen from it.

The best of both worlds – and why I write it, by H. K. Carlton

#New Release Fated to Love you, by Kayla Cunningham #ContemporaryRomance @ExtasyBooks

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Book Information

Published by: eXtasy Books
Author : Kayla Cunningham
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 404 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1487437633
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1487437633
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9C4FWVW
Word Count :127712
Publication Date : 2023-06-23
Series : Chasing the Comet#1
Heat Level : Three Flames
Category : Contemporary Romance , Romance 

BLURB

Cassandra Steel’s passion for science opens doors to an incredible opportunity—a study abroad program in Colombia’s Amazon Rainforest. Still reeling from a devastating breakup, Cassie throws herself into research, convinced that love is not in the cards. However, fate has other plans.

Enter Zhang Xuan, a captivating fellow scientist who unexpectedly captures Cassie’s heart. As they begin to explore their feelings for each other, they are forced to confront the harsh reality that their time together may be limited.

With their time abroad coming to an end, Cassie undertakes a final humanitarian project, delivering school supplies to local children. But tragedy strikes when a devastating mudslide hits. Against all odds, Cassie and Xuan cling to the hope that their connection is more than mere chance—a result of a powerful twist of fate.

Join Cassie and Zhang on a journey of true love, blazing as fiercely as the stars, as they navigate the complexities of destiny and defy the odds that stand in their way.

EXCERPT

“Can I touch you?” he asked.

The dark ocean water was kissed with silvery starlight. The night was too dark to see our reflection or anything below the surface of the frigid waters. I nodded, not wanting my voice to betray my confidence. I stood paralyzed, my heart and blood pounding, as I waited for him to touch my bare skin.

Xuan shuddered the tiniest bit as he reached out and put a hand on my shoulder, slightly above my collarbone. He made broad, light circles over my bare skin. He slowly dragged a delicate finger down my arms and body, tracing the intricate contours of my form. Like an artist’s brush on a canvas, he followed every movement I made, every subtle flicker of muscle beneath the water’s surface. His finger became a conduit, bridging the gap between our souls as he explored the land- scape of my skin, leaving a trail of electric tingles in its wake.

His breath came rougher now as his gaze lingered on my breasts and a phantom wind hissed in our ears. My mouth parted slightly, my breathing shallow. I traced my tongue over his lips as I stroked his back. He tasted like the sea as his tongue flicked against where my lips had been.

Picking up my legs, I wrapped myself around his waist, my arms around his neck. He lifted me and slowly began to carry me up out of the water and onto the wet sand.

BUY LINKS

Amazon (paperback and ebook): https://a.co/d/1ydCt42

Barnes and Noble (ebook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fated-to-love-you-kayla-cunningham/1143739174?ean=2940167396821

Extasy Books: https://www.extasybooks.com/Fated-to-Love-You

REVIEWS

San Francisco Book Review:
https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/product/fated-to-love-you/

Seattle Book Review:
https://seattlebookreview.com/product/fated-to-love-you/

Manhattan Book Review:
https://manhattanbookreview.com/product/fated-to-love-you/

Portland Book Review:
https://portlandbookreview.com/product/fated-to-love-you/

Onlinebookclub.org:

https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?t=296149

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kayla Cunningham holds two education degrees, and she teaches history at the high school level and adult ESL, while also volunteering as a Hostage Crisis Negotiator. She is cur- rently working on her Ph.D. in Teaching English as a Second Language and enjoys taking flying lessons with her husband. Kayla has a passion for traveling and meeting people from different cultures around the world. She hosted six boys from China and has traveled to Asia many times. She was born in San Luis Obispo and raised outside the city of Santa Cruz, California. She is an advocate of exploring issues of racism and current events, including the rise in Asian hate crimes caused by the pandemic. Fated to Love You is Cunningham’s first contemporary romance novel. She just completed the sec- ond installment of the Chasing the Comet series and is currently working on a YA fantasy trilogy called Storm Breaker.

Where to Find me:

WEBSITE https://kaylacunninghamauthor.com/

GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/41231112.Kayla_Cunningham

INSTAGRAM @authorkaylacunningham

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/authorkaylacunningham

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-cunningham-42b932167/

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorkaylacunningham

 

#NewRelease: By Moonlight by Lisabet Sarai @LisabetSarai #Lesbian #Sapphic #Highwayman #Outlaw #EighteenthCentury #Adventure #CrossDressing #GenderBending #Devonshire #KingGeorge #RedCoats

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My blog guest today is Lisabet Sarai, with her exciting new release By Moonlight.

BOOK INFORMATION

Historical Lesbian Erotic Romance
Five flames
16,000 words, 63 pages
Smashwords and Amazon KDP
ISBN (Smashwords): 9798215460337
ASIN: ‎ ‎B0C99C59RY

Don’t Throw Anything Away

 

Inspiration is fickle. One day you’ll be seized by an idea that just won’t let you go. You throw yourself into the writing, intoxicated by the process of creation, certain this will be the best book you’ve ever produced. The sentences and paragraphs flow, the story taking shape on the page almost without effort.

 

Then, suddenly and inexplicably, the fire dies out. The magic evaporates, and you’re left to plod along, trying dutifully to complete the opus to which you’ve devoted your time, despite your doubts about its quality.

 

If you’re trying to make a living writing, you can’t afford to wait for the muse. You’ve got to produce. If, like me, you write primarily for the joy of the process, you may abandon the entire project when your inspiration disappears.

 

That’s what happened with By Moonlight. For years, I’d wanted to write an erotic tale based on the Alfred Noyes poem “The Highwayman”. One day the stars aligned. I sat down and wrote the first chapter in a couple of hours. It turned out exactly as I’d imagined it, both lyrical and arousing. I was chuffed, as my UK author friends would say, eager to push the tale forward.

 

The next weekend, though, when I sat down to continue, I discovered that inspiration had fled. The whole notion seemed silly. I really couldn’t force myself to write any more.

 

So I put the barely-started tale aside and worked on something else. I always have lots of potential projects in mind, far more than my writing time allows.

 

That was four years ago. I’d almost forgotten By Moonlight. Then a stormy night recently reminded me of the poem, and the poem reminded me of the story. When I pulled it up and re-read it, I was freshly impressed and determined to complete it.

 

After such a long lag, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to recreate the tone of that intense first installment. Fortunately I was able to get feedback from my online critique partners, who helped me to adjust the language and the atmosphere appropriately. All in all, I’m happy with the result. I think I’ve managed to fulfill my intentions, offering homage to the Noyes poem while twisting the story in an original (and happier) direction.

 

The lesson here, though, is clear. If you are an author, don’t throw anything away! Keep all your snippets, all your abandoned projects, all your monuments to the departed muse.

 

You really never know when inspiration will return.

 

BLURB

I’ll come for you by moonlight – though Hell should bar the way

In her eighteen years on earth, Bess has never traveled more than twenty miles from her Devonshire village. The raven-haired innkeeper’s daughter has little time to dream of adventure as she labors from dawn to dusk to keep her abusive father satisfied.

Then, at the weekly market in Tavistock town, she meets a handsome dandy who claims her with a single stolen kiss. When the gallant gentleman makes a midnight visit to the inn, Bess learns that her new lover is none other than Kit Latour, a notorious French highwayman who has been boldly relieving the local nobility of their valuables. Well-aware of the risk she’s taking, Bess still offers herself to the seductive outlaw. Even Kit’s darkest secrets cannot quench the flames of her love.

EXCERPT

She must have drowsed, despite her determination to remain on guard. She heard no hoof beats clattering in the inn yard, no tapping on the barred shutters, only a soft whistle under her window that had her instantly alert.

She leaned out, her hair spilling over the casement. “Kit!” she cried, heedless of anyone hearing. “You’ve come at last.”

“Well met, my fair lady.” The lithe figure below gave a little bow. “Did you doubt me?”

“No doubt, my love, only fear. Your fame has spread wide. There be many who’d delight in spilling your blood.”

“Even more after tonight, I’ll wager. I’ve had rich takings along the high road. A fat, dyspeptic earl and his broomstick wife contributed generously to my cause.”

“Lord Haverstock? Oh Kit, he has the King’s ear.” She shrank back into the shadows of her bedroom, then peered anxiously into the distance. She almost expected to see His Majesty’s troops mustering on the country lane. “Why must you take such risks?”

Kit chuckled. “Without risk, life wouldn’t be worth living.” The bandit grasped the gnarled ivy vines that clung to the old inn and clambered up to the second floor. In moments, Bess was face to face with her beloved.

What was her Kit thinking, to ride in such finery against the wealthy and powerful? The coat was burgundy velvet, worn over a pure white linen shirt with a ruffle of lace at the throat. Supple doe-skin boots rose half-way up those strong thighs. The jeweled hilt of a dagger glittered at Kit’s waist. The hungry light in the bandit’s eyes burned brighter still.

“Oh, Bess, how I’ve missed you!”  Kit seized her, crushing her against the velvet, and captured her mouth. Bess pressed her soft body against her lover’s harder form, savoring the heady mixture of familiar comfort and forbidden arousal she always felt in Kit’s arms. A brazen tongue ravaged her mouth while knowing hands slipped under her shift to palm her buttocks and pull her closer still.

“Take this off, girl, before I rip it from your limbs,” Kit gasped, tugging at the fabric that hid her flesh. “I cannot wait another instant.”

Not so long ago she’d been a bashful virgin, but there was no shyness in her now. She pulled the garment over her head and tossed it onto the chair, shaking her long hair free.  Moonlight from the window made her pale skin glow. Kit’s eyes roamed over her nakedness. She’d never felt so beautiful, or so needy.

BUY LINKS

Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/1183-by-moonlight-/
Amazon  US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C99C59RY
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C99C59RY
Smashwords –  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1413596
Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/by-moonlight-lisabet-sarai/1143711659?ean=2940166073495
Kobo  – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/by-moonlight-8
Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6450718058
Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180643788-by-moonlight
Add on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/by-moonlight-by-lisabet-sarai

ABOUT LISABET

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, LGBTQ, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh

 

On Tour: Turning the World to Stone, by Kelly Evans @ChaucerBabe #HistoricalFiction #Renaissance #histfic #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

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BOOK INFORMATION

Book Title: Turning the World to Stone
– The Life of Caterina Sforza Part One 1472 to 1488
Author: Kelly Evans
Publication Date: 2 May 2023
Publisher: Eska Publishing
Page Length: 385 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

BLURB

Vilified by history, Caterina Sforza learned early that her life was not her own. Married at age ten, she was a pawn in the ever-changing political environment of Renaissance Italy.

Resigned to her life as a fifteenth-century wife, Caterina adapted to the role she was expected to play: raising and educating her children, helping the poor in her new home, and turning a blind eye to her husband’s increasingly shameful behaviour. But Fate had other plans for her, and soon Caterina’s path would be plagued by murder, betrayal, and heartbreak.

“Could I write all, the world would turn to stone.”

EXCERPT

“Can you imagine a life with,” Luisa paused, “him?”

“Pope Sixtus IV’s nephew. Girolamo Riario. You may as well get used to saying it.” Caterina thought for a moment. As a Sforza, she had access to the famed Milanese library, only second to that of the Vatican, and had grown up on tales of knights and maidens and chivalry. None of them told the story of an overweight thirty-year-old with a permanent petulant look. She swallowed. “No, I can’t imagine my life from now on. But there’s nothing I can do, it’s my father’s decision.”

They were staring at each other helplessly when Caterina’s stepmother rushed in. Bona of Savoy, the duke’s second wife, had only been married for three years but was already admired and beloved by Milan for her kindness, humour, and love of music and food. A devout woman, she had treated Caterina, one of many of the duke’s illegitimate children, as her own, ensuring both the girl’s mind and soul were seen to.

“You’re here. Good. I must speak with you.” She sat on an elaborately carved wooden chair next to the fireplace and waited for Caterina to join her. Luisa bobbed her petite body before Bona and, with a sympathetic glance at her friend, hurried from the room.

Bona wasted no time getting to the point. As soon as Caterina was settled, she spoke. “You’re to be married.”

“I know.”

Keeping her surprise to herself, Bona merely replied, “How?”

“I was under the table in the study when father spoke about it.”

“Your spying will get you into trouble someday.” Seeing the girl’s face begin to crumble, she smiled gently. “I’ll forgive you this time.”

BUY LINKS

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Link: https://mybook.to/Caterina
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turning-World-Stone-Caterina-Sforza/dp/1778022421
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Turning-World-Stone-Caterina-Sforza-ebook/dp/B0C1HZHT93
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Turning-World-Stone-Caterina-Sforza-ebook/dp/B0C1HZHT93
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Turning-World-Stone-Caterina-Sforza-ebook/dp/B0C1HZHT93

AUTHOR BIO

Born in Canada of Scottish extraction, Kelly Evans graduated in History and English then moved to England where she worked in the financial sector. While in London Kelly continued her studies in history, concentrating on Medieval History, and travelled extensively through Eastern and Western Europe.

Kelly is now back in Canada with her husband Max and a rescue cat. She writes full-time, focussing on illuminating little-known women in history with fascinating stories. When not working on her novels, Kelly writes Described Video scripts for visually impaired individuals, plays oboe, and enjoys old sci-fi movies.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Website: https://www.kellyaevans.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChaucerBabe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyevansauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyevansauthor/
interest: https://www.pinterest.ca/kellyewrites/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kelly-evans
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kelly-Evans/author/B0187JGTOQ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14335541.Kelly_Evans

More excerpts available on other tour stops:

https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/05/blog-tour-turning-world-to-stone.html

 

 

 

Out Now! The King’s Champion by Nancy Northcott @NancyNorthcott #HistoricalFantasy #WWII #Dunkirk #RomanticFantasy #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

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Historical Fiction author Nancy Northcott is my blog guest today, here with an excerpt from the final volume in her trilogy, The Boar King’s Honor.

BOOK INFORMATION

Book Title: The King’s Champion
Series: The Boar King’s Honor Trilogy
Author: Nancy Northcott
Publication Date: May 1, 2023
Publisher: Falstaff Books
Page Length: 378
Genre: Historical fantasy with romantic elements

EXCERPT

This scene is from Chapter 1. Sebastian Mainwaring, who is working with the evacuation, Operation Dynamo, goes outside for a breath of air and gets a surprise. It has been edited slightly to adjust its length.

The spiral stairs to the surface level made Sebastian’s knee protest, but he ignored it. Fractured during a little foray into Czechoslovakia after the Nazi invasion, it hadn’t healed properly. Still, he’d managed to talk his way into a desk job instead of being mustered out of the army with a war obviously on the way. Detached duty with the War Office was better than a seat on the sidelines.

He pushed open the heavy outer door and walked into the cool evening air. After so many hours underground, the breeze on his face lifted his spirits. He strolled to the edge of the cliff so he could see the harbor far below. A steady stream of ships cruised through the opening in the breakwater to enter the English Channel, as usual. With them tonight, however, went a flotilla of small boats, everything from yachts and Thames excursion boats to tugboats to freight scows to fishing boats.

A vision flashed over his sight. A beach crowded with men in combat gear. Thousands of them sat in masses or snaking lines on the sand. Waves lapped the shore, the water unusually calm. Overhead, Messerschmitts made strafing runs. Men jerked or spasmed and fell to the sand. Some of his fellow soldiers fired back at the attackers with their rifles. The planes were too high, out of range, but he couldn’t fault the men for trying. Helplessness and anger must be the order of the day.

The familiar bitterness welled in his throat. He should’ve been in France. Had trained for years to do just that sort of thing. For nothing, now.

“Sebastian.”

The familiar voice yanked him out of the vision.

At his side stood the ghost of his many-times-great grandfather, Richard Mainwaring, his predecessor as Earl of Hawkstowe from early in the reign of Charles II until late in that of Queen Anne. Though he’d lived into his seventies, he appeared as a man in his early thirties. His dark hair fell to his shoulders, and he wore the knee breeches, doublet, and hose popular in his youth, with lace at his collar and cuffs. His black hair, chiseled features, and blue eyes, all traits of Mainwaring men, might’ve come from Sebastian’s mirror.

No one else would be able to see Richard, but conversation would be awkward if anyone was near. A quick glance reassured Sebastian. Richard looked tired, though, which was unusual. A trick of the light, perhaps? What could weary a ghost?

Sebastian smiled. “Hello, Richard. Why so solemn?”

“There’s a wizard headed for the beach at Dunkirk. When she returns to England, you must speak with her.”

“I assume there are a few in a force the size of the BEF, so—hang on. ‘Her’? Is she a nurse?”

“She’s a journalist, approved by whoever manages such things. She’s been with several units over the last weeks.”

Someone should’ve sent her back to England straight away when the Germans rolled into France, but it was too late to fix that. “Why are you telling me this?”

“She’s a very distant cousin of yours, Kate Shaw. Powerful in her Gifts but untrained.”

Sebastian gestured toward the harbor. “I’ve a bit much on my slate for training a novice, distant cousin or not. I can see if someone at the Merlin Club might help.” The covert group of Gifted operated in Britain’s defense without being bound by edicts of the British wizards’ governing body, the Conclave.

“That won’t do. She doesn’t even know she’s Gifted. Her parents died in an automobile crash when she was a baby. In America. The family who adopted her gave her a good life, but they are practical people and taught her not to believe in magic.”

An image flashed into his mind, a woman standing on a beach amid legions of Tommies. The hair tucked under her tin hat might be brown or dark blond when it was clean. Dirt splotches on her face didn’t conceal the strong, attractive features or her full mouth. She appeared to be a few years younger than his thirty-three. The determined set to her chin and the grim resolve in her eyes drew him.

He banished the image with a shake of his head.

“Again,” Sebastian said, struggling for patience, “I haven’t the time for this.”

Richard regarded him steadily. “She’s a seer.”

“You must be mistaken.” There had never been more than one in a generation and not always even one. In this generation, Sebastian was it.

“I know how rare that Gift is,” Richard told him. “Over the centuries, however, our line has spread far and wide. Each of you carries Miranda’s blood and the potential for her Gift.”

A potential that rarely manifested. Richard’s wife, Miranda, had brought the seer Gift into the family line, but it often skipped generations. To have two at the same time, with war coming, the strategic advantage—

“We’ve often discussed how ill-prepared Britain is for this war,” Richard reminded him. “Kate would be a great help to you, especially if you cannot break the German codes.”

“If she cooperates. If she knows what she’s about. If she even accepts that she has such a Gift.” Yet he didn’t need to be a seer to sense the possibilities her coming offered.

If she made it back.

Blurb:

The Boar King’s Honor Trilogy

A wizard’s misplaced trust
A king wrongly blamed
A bloodline cursed until they clear the king’s name.

Book 3: The King’s Champion

Caught up in the desperate evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France in the summer of 1940, photojournalist Kate Shaw witnesses death and destruction that trigger disturbing visions. She doesn’t believe in magic and tries to pass them off as survivor guilt or an overactive imagination, but the increasingly intense visions force her to accept that she is not only magically Gifted but a seer.

In Dover, she meets her distant cousin Sebastian Mainwaring, Earl of Hawkstowe and an officer in the British Army. He’s also a seer and is desperate to recruit her rare Gift for the war effort. The fall of France leaves Britain standing alone as the full weight of Nazi military might threatens. Kate’s untrained Gift flares out of control, forcing her to accept Sebastian’s help in conquering it as her ethics compel her to use her ability for the cause that is right.

As this fledgling wizard comes into her own, her visions warn of an impending German invasion, Operation Sealion, which British intelligence confirms. At the same time, desire to help Sebastian, who’s doomed by a family curse arising from a centuries-old murder, leads Kate to a shadowy afterworld between life and death and the trapped, fading souls who are the roots of her family’s story. From the bloody battlefields of France to the salons of London, Kate and Sebastian race against time to free his family’s cursed souls and to stop an invasion that could doom the Allied cause.

The King’s Champion concludes Nancy’s Northcott’s exciting Boar King’s Honor Trilogy.

Buy Links:

This series is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Buy Links:   

The Herald of Day   Universal Buy Link
The Steel Rose   Universal Buy Link
The King’s Champion   Universal Buy Link

The Boar King’s Honor Trilogy Links:

Amazon US    Amazon UK   Amazon AU   Amazon CA 

BLOG TOUR PAGE

Catch interviews and more excerpts at the blog tour page:

https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/05/blog-tour-kings-champion-by-nancy-northcott.html

Author Bio:

Nancy Northcott’s childhood ambition was to grow up and become Wonder Woman.  Around fourth grade, she realized it was too late to acquire Amazon genes, but she still loved comic books, science fiction, fantasy, history, and romance.

Nancy earned her undergraduate degree in history and particularly enjoyed a summer spent studying Tudor and Stuart England at the University of Oxford. She has given presentations on the Wars of the Roses and Richard III to university classes studying Shakespeare’s play about that king. In addition, she has taught college courses on science fiction, fantasy, and society.

The Boar King’s Honor historical fantasy trilogy combines Nancy’s love of history and magic with her interest in Richard III. She also writes traditional romantic suspense, romantic spy adventures, and two other speculative fiction series, the Light Mage Wars paranormal romances and, with Jeanne Adams, the Outcast Station space mystery series.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://www.NancyNorthcott.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NancyNorthcott
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nancynorthcottstreetteam
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancynorthcottauthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancynorthcott/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-northcott
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nancy-Northcott/author/B00ITY5KLS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3468806.Nancy_Northcott