Reason to Wed Coming Soon

It’s a pleasure to be participating in author Heather Boyd’s virtual book tour for her latest Regency historical romance, REASON TO WED, which will be released Dec. 8th.

REASON TO WED is the seventh book in Heather’s Distinguished Rogues series. Here’s a brief synopsis of the book followed by an excerpt.

        Richard Hill, the Earl of Windermere, might desperately require a wife and heir, but thoughts of duty fly from his mind when he rescues Esme, Lady Heathcote, from the embarrassment of a failed affair. They usually never agree about anything. He’s never even kissed the vexing widow. But when the opportunity arises to whisk her away for a no-strings-attached rendezvous, Richard can’t imagine a better way to spend a moonlit evening.
        Esme has never lacked for admirers, but having Lord Windermere’s company goes a long way to ease the pain of losing her suddenly betrothed lover. And when Windermere suggests an affair, Esme is intrigued by the blazing-hot connection even while knowing their relationship has no future beyond his house party.
        But as with any temptation, it’s a bargain they’ll soon regret.



Read an Excerpt:

The hallway beyond the drawing room was filled to bursting with chattering guests and she moved smoothly through them, nodding and speaking occasionally to some. While she admired the elegance and comforts to be found in Lord Windermere’s home, she kept her eye out for Meriwether. She turned into the library, but the room was startlingly empty.

“Looking for me?” Windermere asked as he came to stand near. His gaze raked her from head to toe in the most gauche way.

Arrogant and presumptuous. “Hardly. You should pay more attention to your guests and the health of your servants.”

Instead of taking the hint that she wasn’t in the mood to talk, he caught her hand and raised it to his lips. His blue eyes danced with amusement. “I do love when you’re friendly. How have you been, Esme?”

She scowled at him and withdrew her hand to her side. “I’ve not given you leave to use my first name and I am not of a mood to spar with you. Go back to your other guests for amusement and send your butler to his bed. Anyone can see he’s on the verge of collapse tonight.”

“I already banished Oswin to rest.” He laughed suddenly. “Young Pip has assumed his duties until Collins comes up.”

“Just as well,” she replied, thankful for such sensible decisions at last.

“Only you would ever dare tell me what to do in my own home. I wanted to thank you for coming,” Windermere murmured. “But to convince everyone we’re not at odds, you will have to talk to me occasionally with a little less acid in your tone.”

“We’ve spoken as much as needed to quell any gossip.” She smiled at him. “Or was it your wish to have me chivvy you out of your mopes too.”

“I will say again you were right.” Windermere sighed and raked a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “You’re enjoying rubbing my nose in that business with Lady Bartlett, aren’t you?”

“Perhaps.” She smothered a laugh. He hadn’t wanted to believe he was being used until it was almost too late to extract himself from the connection. “You were so indignant that day, and after venting your pique at me, you charged down the street—on foot of all things, my man and your horse trailing after. I laughed for at least a whole day afterward. But I am sorry you were let down.”

He inhaled sharply, his jaw clenching before he relaxed and shook his head. “No, you’re not. You’re positively gloating that you were proved right about her.”

REASON TO WED can be found at Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Nook, ARe, and Google Play. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author Heather Boyd

Bestselling historical author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after, no matter how much trouble she puts them through. With that goal in mind, she writes sizzling regency romance stories that skirt the boundaries of propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the morning. 

Heather has published over twenty novels and shorter works. Catch her latest news www.heather-boyd.com. 

She lives north of Sydney, Australia, and does her best to wrangle her testosterone-fuelled family (including cat Morpheus) into submission.

For more on Heather and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for her newsletter and add READON TO WED to your Goodreads Shelf.

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Heather’s visit. Are you a fan of Regency historical romances? If so, what do you enjoy most about them?

Miss Merton’s Last Hope {+ Giveaway}

I’m delighted to be participating in author Heather Boyd’s Virtual Tour for her release today of MISS MERTON’S LAST HOPE, book three in her Miss Mayhem Series.

As part of the virtual tour, Heather is sharing an excerpt from her book and is hosting a tour-wide $25 Amazon.com giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more details on the giveaway.

Release Date: October 13, 2015
Genre: Regency Historical Romance
Length: 40,000 words novella
Heat Rating: Sizzling

Here’s a brief synopsis of MISS MERTON’S LAST HOPE: 

        Over the years, Melanie Merton has used every trick and ruse to repel overeager gentlemen callers without ever revealing the real reason she won’t say yes to an offer of marriage. When neighbor Walter George jumps to her defense against slurs cast by suitor number twelve, he also pries into her past—uncovering the circumstances around a tragic loss in her childhood and her aversion to being touched by anyone.
        But even protective Walter must be kept at a distance for his own good, because despite a growing attraction between them, Melanie must deny him too. Unlike other men his age in Brighton, Walter George hadn’t considered Melanie Merton for a wife because he was convinced he’d never have a chance to impress his haughty neighbor.
        But that was before he understood her better, before he uncovered why she kept friends and suitors alike at bay. The right husband could restore the woman he sees into some semblance of the fun-loving child of his memory, but would Walter stand a chance or become just another unlucky suitor?

Now for the EXCERPT ……….

      Melanie Merton hated her life. She hated the clothes she wore. The house she lived in that was no longer hers to manage. The smiles she had to bestow upon her brother’s friends while overlooking their scowls. Even without the responsibilities she’d always enjoyed, and the hours on her own, she never had a moment’s peace. She just wanted a quiet morning, and that never seemed to happen lately unless she confined herself to her bedchamber.
      Today, she was entertaining Mr. Linus Radley until his sister, Julia, her new sister-in-law, came down that morning. The forms of proper behavior that had been drilled into her head since she was a young girl made it impossible for her to say what was really on her mind, even when she wanted to. She was too polite to ask Mr. Radley to go away until a more reasonable hour of the day, and had ordered tea and cake to fill the endless minutes until Julia relieved her of this duty.
      “It looks to be a lovely day for a stroll,” Mr. Radley said suddenly. “Might I entice you to venture out with me to look upon the sea? With your maid, of course.”
      Melanie sighed with what she hoped sounded like regret and not irritation. She would not go out walking with Linus Radley, with or without a suitable chaperone. She had seen enough of him in the past weeks not to want anything more to do with him than she absolutely had to. He was a bully. “Unfortunately, I am otherwise engaged today.”
      “Oh?”
      Dear God, the man wants particulars.

MISS MERTON’S LAST HOPE is available at Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Nook, and you can Add to Goodreads Shelf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author Heather Boyd

Bestselling historical author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after, no matter how much trouble she puts them through. With that goal in mind, she writes sizzling regency romance stories that skirt the boundaries of propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the morning. 

Heather has published over twenty novels and shorter works. Catch her latest news www.heather-boyd.com. She lives north of Sydney, Australia, and does her best to wrangle her testosterone-fueled family (including cat Morpheus) into submission. 

For more on Heather and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Twitter and Facebook, as well as subscribe to her mailing list.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This is a tour-wide giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift Card. To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient.

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Heather’s visit. Do you enjoy historical romance? What are your thoughts on novellas? 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Off The Shelf: Hunting The Hero by Heather Boyd

Today’s book I’m taking off the bookshelf to talk about is HUNTING THE HERO, the latest and final sizzling regency romance novel in author Heather Boyd’s Wild Randalls Series.

Here’s a brief synopsis of HUNTING THE HERO:

    She can lose her birthright, but not her heart!
    Meredith Clark wants no part of her long-ago identity as Rosemary Randall. She's created a more exciting life as the courtesan, Calista, and her newest lover is both intriguing and rugged enough to capture her fancy.
    But the widowed Earl of Grayling craves more than this woman's dazzling intelligence and fiery passion. He wants her as his mistress, and if she won't agree to that, he'll settle for taking her home as his daughters' governess.

   Determined never to be tied down to one person or place, Meredith prepares to run again. Yet something deep inside her yearns to stay -- until she discovers Constantine’s real identity.
    Now she's faced with the hardest choice of her life. Should she trust the man she's coming to love with the secrets of her past, or flee to save them both from an even greater heartbreak?

HUNTING THE HERO is available in print (ISBN: 978-0987561411) and digital (ASIN: B00EWQ1VDI) formats. Published by LLD Publishing last month, the paperback book consists of 254 pages and 439 KB for digital. 

Here’s what one reviewer had to say about the book, “Well developed characters, rich description of background and situations.”

As I mentioned earlier, HUNTING THE HERO is the final installment in the Wild Randalls Series. The other books in the series include:

ENGAGING THE ENEMY:
 
A duchess should be regal, aloof and the image of calm elegance. But those words have never applied to Mercy, Duchess of Romsey. A widow and mother of a young duke, Mercy is lonely and floundering to keep the estate afloat. When she discovers the existence of Leopold Randall, her husband’s estranged cousin, Mercy commits to help him locate his missing siblings if he’ll return the estate to order. Although cautioned against trusting a man who would inherit everything should her son die, she impetuously hands over the estate to Leopold’s care in the hope of keeping him near.

Leopold Randall, heir to the young duke, has returned to Hampshire to demand information regarding the fate of his missing siblings. Unfortunately, the Duchess of Romsey is clueless about them, yet her struggle to maintain the estate tugs at Leopold’s sense of duty. At her insistence, he steps in to bring order to chaos while searching for hints to his family’s whereabouts amongst the old duke’s papers. Yet the duchess tempts him in ways best unspoken. He fights to hide his  weakness for her and a shameful past that could see him banished again. But when Leopold discovers a threat against the duchess and young duke’s life, he must join forces with the temptress to protect his last known  relative. 

FORSAKING THE PRIZE: 

She was a faithful widow until… 

Abducted at fourteen and sent away to sea, rough and ready sailor Tobias Randall endured exile and cruelty only to have his plans for revenge crumble. He may have made a terrible first impression upon his return to Romsey Abbey, but he has a plan to reclaim his place—he’ll marry  quickly and marry a woman of wealth. Yet the perils of life at sea are nothing compared to the danger of attempting polite conversation with a proper lady.

… he reawakened her heart
Blythe, Lady Venables, may be revered as a faithful, proper widow, but a cruel misunderstanding has placed her sanity in doubt. Determined to clear her name, she forms an uneasy truce with the wildest Randall of all, Tobias—a man shamelessly willing to seduce her—to uncover the mystery plaguing Romsey Abbey. With doubts and fears against them, Tobias and Blythe each venture into uncharted territory – love and scandal.

GUARDING THE SPOILS:
  Elizabeth Turner once loved Oliver Randall, but was blind to his desire to travel without the encumbrance of a wife weighing him down. When she learned the truth, Beth settled for the security of a loveless marriage. Now a widow with a son to support, desperation has driven her into service at Romsey Abbey and directly into the path of the man she’d loved and lost.

Oliver has no intention of letting his dream of travel slip away again, even for a pretty face from his past. Since his return to the abbey, he’s planned a grand tour to the continent even while examining the astonishing emotional changes a decade apart from his brothers has wrought. The last thing Oliver wanted was stronger ties to the people living at Romsey. But then fate offers him both an affair and an unexpected friendship. Is it curiosity alone that stirs him, or the beginning of an unexpected adventure?

THE SERIES….
For more on each book in this tantalizing series, connect with the author on Wattpad. There she share an excerpt from each of the books to tempt your reading taste buds even more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bestselling historical author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after, no matter how much trouble

she puts them through. 


With that goal in mind, she weaves sizzling English set love stories that push the boundaries of regency era propriety to keep readers enthralled until the
wee hours of the morning. Brimming with new ideas, she frequently wishes she could type as fast as she conjures new storylines. 

While writing full time north of Sydney, Australia, Heather collects dust bunnies in all corners of the house and does her best to wrangle her testosterone-fuelled family into submission.

For more on Heather and her writing, visit her website, connect with her on Facebook and look for her on Wattpad.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope I’ve entice you a bit to try a regency romance novel or two, if you don’t already enjoy them. Do you have a favorite era to read about?

Author Heather Boyd On Characters Letting Their Guard Down

It’s my pleasure to welcome ‘new-to-me’ author Heather Boyd as the special guest blogger here today as she tours blogdom with her latest release.

Heather’s release is LOVE ME TENDER and she’s giving an ebook away to one lucky visitor commenting on this blog. Please see the giveaway details at the end of the post.

Heather joins us today to talk about characters letting their guard down and showing a glimpse of what’s to come.

There is nothing quite so wonderful as the sight of Mr. Darcy watching Elizabeth Bennett playing the pianoforte. There is also something unbelievably touching about Mr. Brown at the beginning of Nanny McPhee when Evangeline finds him lying on the bottom step of the staircase. (If you can’t tell – I have a rather large crush on Colin Firth) These moments where the character lets down their guard and show us the viewer how they feel keep these stories in my favorite list. Same happens with fiction. I love those moments for the promise of what’s to come later in the story.

However, I’m here to promote my latest ebook release, not a movie, so this is a short excerpt from chapter two of LOVE ME TENDER.

     Tristan spun toward the rear door, untangling his limbs from Winifred's enticingly lush body as the knock repeated. He glanced about the chamber, but couldn't see anywhere to secret himself except directly behind the door.

     He had no wish to embarrass her or cause a scandal that would ruin her reputation. The auburn-haired beauty's kiss tasted sweeter than any claret, finer than any feast, and wholly unwise for a man committed to a bachelor existence. He'd noted her allure before she'd married, when he'd stolen a kiss from the untouchable debutant under the mistletoe at his mother's winter ball, but he'd managed to stop at just that one kiss. As a widow, she no longer presented a risk to his single existence, and he no longer needed to resist this startling attraction.
     And he wouldn't retreat to another part of the building, leaving her unprotected. There had been far too many so-called gentlemen boasting they would pay her a call, given her father's absence. He couldn't leave her alone to face those kinds of advances.
     He slid behind the door with a nod to Winifred.
     "Who's there?" Winifred asked, hurriedly straightening her attire. The adorable flush of color to her cheeks sent his pulse racing.
     "It's Lord Justin, Mrs. Moore. Might I have a word?"
     Tristan shook his head at Winifred, warning her not to open the door to his brother. He could imagine the beetle-browed clunch, hat in hand, hopeful gleam in his eye. The fool wouldn't usurp Tristan's place in Winifred's presence.
     "I'm sorry, Lord Justin. The book you were looking for hasn't been found yet, but we'll send word to the Hall the moment we make any discovery," Winifred replied without opening the door. She pressed her hand to the wood, and Tristan couldn't help but cover her fingers with his.

Can you remember your favorite movie or book moment where you got your first glimpse of the romance to come? To celebrate the LOVE ME TENDER’S release I’m giving away a digital copy to one lucky visitor who comments on this post between now and 8 p.m. Friday, April 29. Be sure to include your e-mail address with your comment, if it’s not included in your profile.

Heather, thanks for guest blogging today. Getting a glimpse of what’s to come keeps the reader turning just one more page before putting the book down.

Now for a bit of background on Heather. She is an author of erotic historical romance set in regency England. Brimming with new ideas, she frequently wishes she could type as fast as she conjures new storylines. A collector of very old things, Heather lives with her testosterone-fuelled family north of Sydney, Australia. Her published work include: ONE WICKED NIGHT, IN THE WIDOW’S BED, and her April release, LOVE ME TENDER. For more on Heather and her writing, stop by her website at www.heather-boyd.com. She also enjoys hearing from readers. You can send an email to heather@heather-boyd.com and find her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

Noble Romance released LOVE ME TENDER on April 11, 2011 in multiple digital formats. To view an excerpt or purchase the book, check out Heather’s website or Noble Romance [https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=266].

Be sure to share your favorite movie or book moment or just stop in to say hello and be entered in the e-book giveaway for LOVE ME TENDER.