First Lord of Thieves Excerpt...Chapter One

Now that we're in to December...I thought I'd share with you, the FIRST ever excerpt of Lord of Thieves from Chapter One...

Enjoy!

Chapter One

1209, Nottinghamshire

I’m going to die this day.

Merrion squeezed her eyes shut as she stumbled from the darkened bowels of Laxton Castle into the bright, piercing sunlight. She stood on quaking limbs, her body weak and trembling as she waited for the harsh light to recede. Hands as hard as iron manacles gripped her arms, holding her upright. She gasped as they half dragged, half walked her into the welcoming morn. She had to bite her bottom lip to keep from crying out— her shoulders ached with each jarring movement.

How long was she chained in the dungeon, her arms stretched above her until she feared they would rip from the sockets? It could have been weeks or months in that place of eternal night.

Merrion was jerked to a halt, her knees giving way. She would have crumpled to the ground in a ragged heap, but the guards yanked her to her feet. She groaned, her body aching from head to toe. By dint of sheer will, she slowly straightened. She pried her eyes open and stared at her surroundings, and wished she hadn’t.

The massive wall of the inner bailey rose before her, twenty five feet high, and of solid stone. The gate tower, looming above the wall, glared down at her with its dark windows. Gripped by desperation, her gaze darted to the portcullis, but something tall and foreboding blocked her view.

Merrion’s eyes widened, her breath quickened, as a chill slithered down her spine.

Constructed in the centre of the bailey was a gibbet. The buttercolored wood looked freshly hewn in the golden dawn. And hanging from the elevated beam, was a thick coiled rope swinging gently in the spring breeze.

Merrion could not have been more horrified had a hooded executioner hefting a mighty axe been awaiting her. Her pulse raced as terror squeezed her heart. Tears rose to sting her eyes.

I am going to die this day.

There could be no denying the truth.

She wanted to scream, to rage at the heavens, but she would not give her brother-in-law the satisfaction of knowing her fright. Gathering the tattered shreds of her courage, she swallowed the cry threatening to erupt from her throat. She pushed back her panic and straightened her spine. If she was going to die this day, she would do so with honor and dignity— just as her father had taught her.

A strange noise reached her, like the roar of the waves battering the White Cliffs of Dover. She gazed past the gibbet and gasped.

A solid wall of humanity filled the bailey, from the gate tower to the gibbet. Men, women, and children had gathered for the grand spectacle of a high-born lady swinging from the noose. Merrion watched in disbelief as vendors moved through the throng with ale carts, roasted meats and baked bread. They peddled their wares in their loud sing-song voices.

Gisbourne must have invited the serfs and villagers from the surrounding Hundreds to watch her die.

Dread crept past her courage, freezing her blood. I cannot die like this. I cannot! Terrified, she shrank back against her captors. She’d rather starve to death in the dungeons than to suffer this.

“All will be well soon, milady,” a voice whispered soothingly in her ear.

Aye, she would be dead!

Merrion closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, calming the frantic patter of her heart. So she would suffer a few moments of humiliation and pain. At least she would no longer know torment at the hands of her brother-in-law. Nor would she be a pawn of the King.

Composed, she opened her eyes and gazed above the forbidding wall to the blue horizon. Despite her imminent demise, Merrion acknowledged it was one of loveliest sunrises she’d ever seen. The sweeping gold and red was slowly giving way to the deeper blue of day as clouds of white fluff lazily meandered across the great expanse. A gentle spring breeze wafted over her like a tender caress, teasing the tendrils at her temple. A wistful smile touched her lips when she spotted a hawk gliding across the sky. If only she could fly as the bird, then she too could escape her earthly bonds. She inhaled deeply of the fresh air, savoring it. It was the first she’d had in a long time. A strange peace of acceptance washed over her.

At least it was a nice day to die...

Buy the book in PDF or MobiPocket

Lord of Thieves Blurb

She is destined to hang…

Accused of murdering her husband, Lady Merrion de Beaufey is fated for the gallows, when the infamous outlaw—Robyn Hode— rescues her from a deadly hail of arrows. Unable to remember the night her husband died, Merrion races to discover the truth before Robyn realizes he’s protecting a murderess. But there is something irresistible about the seductive outlaw... Can she trust him with her darkest secret?

Only he can save her…

Lord Roberte de Montichet has returned to England for one reason—to avenge his father’s death, and clear his family name. Disguised as Robyn Hode, he rescues a woman escaping a band of murdering knights, only to discover it is none other than Lady Merrion—the woman who nearly destroyed him years earlier. Roberte yearns to succumb to the passion burning between them, but dare he trust her? Or will she betray him yet again?

Available in PDF and MobiPocket

Lord of Thieves... Available Now

I'm thrilled to announce Lord of Thieves was released TODAY by Awe-Struck Publishing. My first new historical romance in four years!

Currently, LOT is available in two formats:

PDF for Acrobat Reader - Click Here

MobiPocket - Click Here

Kindle as well as additional formats TBA.

Enjoy!

Just Released: Lord of Thieves!!!

I'm SO excited to announce...my dark and sexy Robin Hood story, LORD OF THIEVES is out now! Woohoo! All gaze upon the splendor that is the cover... ;-)

Come Chat with Ingela & Win Prizes...

I'm very excited, because tomorrow, my debut novel, A Knight of Passion is being re-released!

And to celebrate, I'm chatting tomorrow with fellow historical romance author, Donna Hatch, who will be celebrating her release: The Stranger She Married!  

Where? At the fabulous, Historical Romance Club! http://www.historicalromanceclub.com/index-CHAT.html

When? Friday, Sept. 25th, 9:00 pm Eastern (8:00 pm Central, 7:00 pm Mountain, 6:00 pm Pacific).

Me and Donna are giving away lots of prizes, including copies of our books...

So come join the fun tomorrow night!

See you there.

Winners of the Blythe Gifford Contest!

I would like to congratulate: catslady for winning a signed copy of Blythe Gifford's latest historical romance: In the Master's Bed. 

In addition to the above prize, I'm giving away two bonus prizes. Two copies of the re-released ebook of A Knight of Passion!

Congrats to the AKOP ebook winners: The Blackraven and Martha Lawson. 

WINNERS: To claim your prize, please email me ( author @ ingelahyatt (dot) com - you know how to make it work ;) with your blogger ID, real name, and email address.

I would like to thank Blythe Gifford for taking the time to answer questions and donating a prize, and I'd like to thank everyone who left comments.

Romantic Rambling Interviews: Historical Romance Author, Blythe Gifford!

Greetings Everyone!

I’m very excited today because I'm holding my very first Romantic Ramblings Interview with Historical Romance Author, Blythe Gifford. Blythe exploded onto the romance scene back in 2004 with her debut novel, The Knave and The Maiden which received rave reviews. Today, we’re celebrating Blythe’s fourth book, In the Master’s Bed with an interview and contest! So grab yourself a cup of java, sit back and enjoy…

In the Master's Bed by Blythe Gifford

Disguised as a man in a place where women are forbidden, Jane meets a man who, for the first time, makes her want to be a women. But what will happen when he discovers her secret and she’s discovered IN The MASTER’S BED?

Ingela: Welcome Blythe, to the Romantic Ramblings blog.  Can you tell us about your latest Harlequin Historical, In The Master's Bed?

Blythe Gifford: It’s a medieval romance featuring a heroine born on the wrong side of the royal blanket, the sister from my previous release The HARLOT’S DAUGHTER. She runs away from home, disguised as a man, to study at the university, where women are forbidden. There, she meets a man who, for the first time, makes her want to be a woman. But what will happen when he discovers her secret and she’s discovered IN The MASTER’S BED?

Ingela: What inspired you to write a romance in the fourteenth Century England?

Blythe Gifford: In junior high school, I read Katherine, by Anya Seton. It’s the story of a lifelong love affair between John of Gaunt, a son of Edward III, fourteenth century English monarch, and Katherine Swynford. They had four children together and in a happily-ever-after moment, they finally married late in life. Their children were legitimized and in just a few generations, their descendents sat on the English throne. It sparked my interest in fourteenth century England and the royal family, particularly the behind-the-throne stories. I subsequently put together my own royal family tree, complete with all the mistresses and bastards I could find. And I’m writing stories of royal bastards today!

Beyond that, I like to write about turbulent times and the fourteenth century has it all: plagues, wars, political intrigue, religious and economic upheavals. My characters grapple with a changing world, just as we do. There’s always something coming to test their mettle.  

Ingela: What made you decided to become a writer? Is writing your "first love" or is it something you "fell into?"

Blythe Gifford: After many years in public relations, advertising, and marketing, I started writing seriously after a corporate layoff. Ten years and one layoff later, I was an “overnight success.” That’s when I sold my Golden Heart finalist manuscript to Harlequin.
But the truth is, I’ve been a writer all my life. I started to write (and illustrate) my first historical novel when I was ten. (I have since given up illustration!)

Ingela: So what's in store for you now? What book are you currently inspired to write?

Blythe Gifford: I’m just finishing revisions on my next book about a fourteenth century royal bastard, which will be released next year by Harlequin Historical. (Date and title still to be determined!) This time, I’ve written my first Scottish set story. I’ll be interested to see what readers think about my trip across the border!

Ingela: And now for some fun questions... ;) If you could travel back in time for a month long vacation, which Era would you visit and why?

Blythe Gifford: Well, I’d have to say the fourteenth century. It would be interesting to see whether I got it right. But it might not feel like much of a vacation! And I’d want a time travel guarantee that I wouldn’t catch from the plague, or be have to ride to war or get on the king’s bad side. If any of those happened, I might not make it back!

Ingela: If you could meet anyone of your characters in person, who would it be and why?

Blythe Gifford: The one I would like to meet is a character in my books, but also a real person. Jane, the heroine of IN The MASTER’S BED, and Solay, the heroine of The HARLOT’S DAUGHTER, were inspired by real people: the daughters of Alice Perrers, the notorious mistress of Edward III. If you Google Alice, “notorious” is the nicest word that pops up. The list includes greedy, unscrupulous, shrewd, venal, shameless, and rapacious! But in creating her as a character, and a mother, I developed my own take on her life and motives. In twenty-first century hindsight, I think she was scandalous because she exceeded the boundaries set for a mistress in her age. Had she been a man, she would have been admired for her wealth and power. I’d like to know whether I’m right.

Ingela: If you could meet any author in the world (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

Blythe Gifford: Oh, I could make a list! But let me give the “dead” answer. I’d love to meet Anya Seton so I could tell her how her book had influenced my life. I did get to do the second best thing. I met her granddaughter at a conference earlier this year. That was a real thrill, I have to say. I got goose bumps!

Ingela: What is your favorite "guilty" pleasure and why?

Blythe Gifford: Only one? I’m a fan of “Dancing With the Stars” and I’m really looking forward to having it back on air next week!

Ingela: What is the "coolest" or most interesting thing that has happened to you since becoming a published author?

Blythe Gifford: Actually, just being a published author is pretty cool! And hearing from a reader who loved the book is the best thing ever. But my favorite event was having my first book, The KNAVE AND The MAIDEN, named the book club selection of my hometown library. I visited with the group after they had read the book and got to hear their perceptions and fill them in on some of the flotsam and jetsam of inspiration that went into the story. That was wonderful enough, but while I was there, I kept remembering myself as a little girl, haunting the shelves and taking home stacks of books to read. It is still amazing and wonderful to think that that little girl grew up to write books!

Blythe Gifford: I’d like to thank you for having me, Ingela. I know you are a fellow medieval lover! And I’d love to hear your blog readers tell us what they are reading right now. A copy of IN The MASTER’S BED will go to one lucky commenter.

Ingela: And thank you for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to drop by and do this interview, Blythe. 

To learn more about Blythe Gifford and her books, be sure to check out these websites: www.blythegifford.com , and eharlequin.com . 

CONTEST ALERT:

Now readers, heres your chance to WIN a Signed copy of Blythe Gifford's In the Master's Bed! Simply ask a question or tell us what your reading, or leave a comment.  Blythe will be popping in and out throughout the day to answer any of your questions.

Good Luck!

Please check back on Wednesday, September 23rd, for the announcement of the Winner of Blythe's Contest.

Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved®and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and/or its affiliated companies, used under license.
Author photo by Jennifer Girard

Revisiting the Keeper Shelf: Lady of Conquest by Teresa Medeiros

Recently, I signed up with GoodRead's author program and I wanted to fill out my “book shelves.” So I decided to add a new shelf to the list: the keeper shelf.  

Now my personal keeper shelf at home consists of some five hundred books, and yes, I've read them all. Some I read only once, and loved them so much I knew I had to keep them. Some I've read multiple times and every time it's a joy to read.

Such is the case with Lady of Conquest by Teresa Medeiros. It was my introduction to Ms. Medeiros extraordinary writing and I instantly fell in love with the book. I decided to add it to the keeper shelf on GoodReads (along with a plethora of Teresa's other books). As I was writing a vague review on the book, I realized I hadn't read it in quite a few years and decided to read it again.  

Conn of the Hundred Battles was the first king of Ireland, known then as the Isle of Erin, who united all the smaller kingdoms under one High-King---himself. But all is not well in Conn's kingdom. A giant is killing the Fianna, his elite warriors, and now it is up to Conn himself to destroy the beast. But what Conn finds instead is an orphaned girl with the deadly skills of a warrior. A girl injured by Conn's own sword—when Conn has sworn gentleness to all women. But there is nothing gentle about the lovely waif, even though she is dying from the wound.

Gelina O Monaghan wanted only one thing, vengeance! Vengeance against the man who had her mother and father killed. Vengeance against the one who destroyed her life. That is why she and her brother, Rodney, created the “giant” to kill Conn's men. Why Gelina spent years honing her skills until she was as good as any of the Fianna. But when the moment comes to kill Conn, he turns out to the better warrior. And when he discovers who she is, she is sure he means to kill her, if not use her cruelly as Rodney has warned her. But instead, Conn treats her with kindness, he returns her ackward kisses and tries to heal her wounds. In fact, once Gelina swears featly to him, he protects her by claiming to his people that he killed the Giant and rescued Gelina from it's clutches.

Conn doesn't know what to make of Gelina. He is pained by the fact he indirectly caused her family's death, but then, her father did lie and betray him. It was justice, such as Gelina and her brother had been seeking. But with her brother gone, and with no one else for her to turn to, Conn decides to make her his foster daughter. Needing to keep her close and protect her. But what Conn refuses to acknowledge is the growing feelings he has for her.

Despite everything Rodney told her about Conn, Gelina begins to realize that beneath the battle scared king, is a good and kind man who stirs her heart and fills her days with joy. And though Conn seeks to give her the childhood she lost, what he does not seem to realize, is that Gelina is no longer a child, but growing into a woman, with the wants and desire as such. And much to her dismay, realizes she has deep feelings for Conn.

Betrayed by one of his own men, Conn is sold into slavery to the Romans and returns to Erin a year later to discover his waif has grown into a beautiful young woman. And stirs inside of him a gut deep longing for her. But a part him refuses to see her as the woman she has become, and cannot forget the fact Gelina is his foster daughter.

Faced with more betrayals and dark secrets, Conn and Gelina will be faced with love and hate, passion and destruction...but only love will heal them both...

Even after all of these years, Lady of Conquest is still an emotional and exhilerating ride. From the moment he realizes who Gelina is, Conn struggles not only with his gut wrenching desire for her, but the deep emotions filling his heart. How can he reconcile the murderous waif with the beautiful young woman she has become? And when Gelina herself betrays him, it is the ultimate test to his love and honor. Gelina herself struggles not only with her love for Conn, but for that of her brother, Rodney. Did Rodney truly lie to her about Conn? Who is she to believe? (And I thought I tortured my characters!!!) Despite the fact I absolutely love Conn and Gelina and their struggle to find love and happiness together, my favorite character has always been Nimbus, the jester. He is funny, wise and sweet, and his ultimate fate is heart breaking. It is no wonder this book has a special place on my keeper shelf...