Excerpt & Giveaway: Two Dukes and a Scandal
Two
Dukes and a Scandal Tour
It
Takes a Scandal by Caroline Linden
How
to Lose a Duke in Ten Days by Laura Lee Guhrke
&
Redemption
of the Duke by Gayle Callen
Blurb
The
second book in a deliciously sexy new series from USA Today
bestselling and RITA award winning author Caroline Linden, in which
an utterly shocking book--Fifty Shades of Grey for the Regency era--
has all of London talking and gives more than one young miss a mind
for scandal.
Sometimes
it takes a scandal . . .
Abigail
Weston has everything: beauty, wit, and one of the largest dowries in
England. Her parents hope she’ll wed an earl. Abigail hopes for a
man who wants her desperately and passionately. But the money seems
to blind every man she meets-except one.
Sebastian
Vane has nothing. He came home from war with a shattered leg to find
his father mad and his inheritance gone. He’s not a fit suitor for
anyone, let alone an heiress. But Abigail lights up his world like a
comet, bright and beautiful and able to see him instead of his ruined
reputation. And it might end happily ever after . . .
To
reveal your heart’s desire
Until
Benedict Lennox begins courting Abigail. Ben is everything Sebastian
isn’t-wealthy, charming, heir to an earl. Sebastian won’t give up
the only girl he’s ever loved without a fight, but Abigail must
choose between the penniless gentleman who moves her heart, and the
suitor who is everything her parents want.
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Teaser
#2:
“Don’t
mind him,” said a voice. “He won’t hurt you.”
The
sound of someone so near almost sent her leaping out of her skin. It
took her a moment to locate the speaker. He wore a brown coat that
blended with the trees, but took off his hat as he approached.
“He
startled me,” she managed to say.
The
stranger’s mouth quirked. “He does that sometimes. Sit,” he
said to his dog, who obediently sat. “Is that your dog in the
bracken?”
“Yes.
I mean, it’s my mother’s dog,” she replied. “Milo. He’s
only a puppy, but he ran off and I think he might have a rabbit in
his mouth.”
He
looked toward the whimpering sounds. “A terrier?”
“Yes,
a small golden brown one.”
He
nodded. “I’ll fetch him out.” He glanced at her dress. “You
don’t seem well-dressed for walking in the woods.”
She
blushed, and realized she was still holding her gown in a death grip,
pulling the fabric tightly around her hips and exposing her legs
almost to the knee. “I didn’t plan to walk in the woods. The
cursed dog ran away, and I was chasing him.” She released her
skirts, fluffing them a bit.
His
gaze flicked downward for a moment, following the descent of her
skirt. “It looks like a very elegant party you’re attending. I
don’t want to keep you from it.” He hung his hat on a branch just
over his head and headed into the thicket of bracken and fallen
trees, whistling between his teeth as he went. Only when he had to
step over a tree branch did she notice he used a cane, pressed tight
to his left side.
“Thank
you, sir,” Abigail called after him self-consciously.
Blurb
From
USA Today bestselling author Laura Lee Guhrke comes the story of a
bargain, a marriage of convenience…and the chance for love to last
a lifetime
They had a deal…
From the moment she met the devil-may-care Duke of Margrave, Edie knew he could change her life. And when he agreed to her outrageous proposal of a marriage of convenience, she was transformed from ruined American heiress to English duchess. Five years later, she’s delighted with their arrangement, especially since her husband is living on another continent.
But deals are made to be broken…
By marrying an heiress, Stuart was able to pay his family’s enormous debts, and Edie’s terms that he leave England forever seemed a small price to pay. But when a brush with death impels him home, he decides it’s time for a real marriage with his luscious American bride, and he proposes a bold new bargain: ten days to win her willing kiss. But is ten days enough to win her heart?
They had a deal…
From the moment she met the devil-may-care Duke of Margrave, Edie knew he could change her life. And when he agreed to her outrageous proposal of a marriage of convenience, she was transformed from ruined American heiress to English duchess. Five years later, she’s delighted with their arrangement, especially since her husband is living on another continent.
But deals are made to be broken…
By marrying an heiress, Stuart was able to pay his family’s enormous debts, and Edie’s terms that he leave England forever seemed a small price to pay. But when a brush with death impels him home, he decides it’s time for a real marriage with his luscious American bride, and he proposes a bold new bargain: ten days to win her willing kiss. But is ten days enough to win her heart?
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Excerpt
#1:
Suddenly,
the chanting stopped. Voices flowed over him in rapid bursts, anxious
and fretful voices, speaking Kikuyu. He was fluent in most Bantu
dialects, including that one, but despite the fact, he could not seem
to comprehend what they were saying. The voices rose to a higher,
almost frantic pitch, and suddenly, he felt his body being lifted
from the cot. The movement sent a fresh wave of pain through his
already-aching bones, and he cried out, a sound ripped from his
ravaged throat, but they paid no heed to his protest. They were
moving him now, carrying him somewhere. The pain was excruciating,
particularly in his thigh, and he felt as if his bones would snap
like sticks at any moment. He stirred, trying to show that he did not
want to go where they were taking him, but the slight movement he
managed to make was no deterrent. They carried him for what seemed an
eternity, but at last, they stopped, and dry grass rustled beneath
him as he was laid down. Then he heard the rasp of metal cutting
through the turf and dirt. Voices murmured, hushed and indistinct.
What the bloody hell was going on? He forced his eyes open again and
found that directly above him was the outline of a silvery crescent
moon, but its lines were blurry against the night sky. He blinked,
shook his head, and blinked again. Suddenly, the moon came into
focus.
Blurb
USA
Today bestselling author Gayle Callen concludes her new series with a
tale of generosity, passion, and the true kindness of the heart.
A duke who needs to be tamed…a lady who refuses to be rescued.
Adam Chamberlin was the third son of a duke, known for gambling binges and drunken nights. No one expected anything of him …until tragedy strikes. Now Adam is the new Duke of Rothford, determined to right the wrongs he’s done. Except a secret in his past means helping the one woman who doesn’t want his help at all…
It’s not every day that a duke introduces himself to a woman sitting by herself in Hyde Park. Faith Cooper is even more surprised when Adam offers her a position as a lady’s companion to his elderly aunt. Faith refuses to be beholden to a man again-certainly not this man, who both infuriates and attracts her. But with the simmering passion between them, will Faith surrender to forbidden desire?
A duke who needs to be tamed…a lady who refuses to be rescued.
Adam Chamberlin was the third son of a duke, known for gambling binges and drunken nights. No one expected anything of him …until tragedy strikes. Now Adam is the new Duke of Rothford, determined to right the wrongs he’s done. Except a secret in his past means helping the one woman who doesn’t want his help at all…
It’s not every day that a duke introduces himself to a woman sitting by herself in Hyde Park. Faith Cooper is even more surprised when Adam offers her a position as a lady’s companion to his elderly aunt. Faith refuses to be beholden to a man again-certainly not this man, who both infuriates and attracts her. But with the simmering passion between them, will Faith surrender to forbidden desire?
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Excerpt
#4
(Setup:
The duke wishes to employ Faith Cooper to help her, since he feels
guilty about the death of her brother, a fellow soldier. But she’s
refused.)
He
was coming for her—and Faith felt like an utter fool. What had
possessed her to go out of her way to walk past Rothford Court?
But
there was also a dangerous excitement making her breath come quickly,
her heart pound, as she glanced over her shoulder and saw him
threading his way through the light crowd, making people stop and
gape at him. He wasn’t chasing her, she told herself. He was
chasing the terrible mistakes of his past. She was a means to an end.
If
she rationally understood this, why did she feel this way?
Because
he was a man, and he was showing interest. She was disappointed in
herself. The duke’s focus on her was bringing back excitement, the
dark world of desire.
She
was carrying a set of handkerchiefs wrapped in paper and string,
finished with her errand for Adelia. Where else could she go? The
duke was gaining on her slowly, as if he was enjoying himself, drat
him.
The
only safe place was the Warburton town house. When she reached the
front door, she turned to give him a triumphant smile. It faded away
when she saw him opening the gate. With a gasp, she fled inside, then
managed to walk sedately past the butler and up the stairs toward
Adelia’s room, even as she heard a knock at the front door.
She
swallowed hard, but could not believe he’d ask for her. That would
cause too much talk, even for a duke.
Author
Bio’s
Caroline
Linden was born a reader,
not a writer. She earned a math degree from Harvard University and
wrote computer software before turning to writing fiction. Ten years,
twelve books, two Red Sox championships, and one dog later, she has
never been happier with her decision. Her books have won the NEC
Reader’s Choice Beanpot Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, and
RWA’s RITA Award. Since she never won any prizes in math, she takes
this as a sign that her decision was also a smart one. Visit her
online at www.carolinelinden.com
Laura
Lee Guhrke spent seven
years in advertising, had a successful catering business, and managed
a construction company before she decided writing novels was more
fun. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Laura has
penned over twenty historical romances. Her books have received many
award nominations, and she is the recipient of romance fiction’s
highest honor: the Romance Writers of America RITA Award. She lives
in the Northwest with her husband (or, as she calls him, her very own
romance hero), along with two diva cats and a Golden Retriever happy
to be their slave. Laura loves hearing from readers, and you can
contact her via her website: www.lauraleeguhrke.com.
After
a detour through fitness instructing and computer programming, Gayle
Callen found the life
she’d always dreamed of as a romance writer. This USA Today
bestselling author has written more than eighteen historical romances
for Avon Books, and her novels have won the Holt Medallion and the
Laurel Wreath Award.
Gayle
lives in Central New York with her three children, her dog, Apollo,
and her husband, Jim the Romance Hero.
Giveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks so much for spotlighting our books!
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome!
DeleteNo problem!
ReplyDeleteHello to Laura, Gayle and Caroline and congrats on your new releases! I'm so looking forward to having your new stories for my Summer reading plan...staying inside during the hot months here in Sacramento. :-) And I just read the excerpts from all three books, different from others I've read on this tour, and they all have me getting antsy as I hate to wait for a book when I know I want to read it! But wait I must as I have other obligations this month and during the month of May. I hope the rest of your tour brings you lots of new readers as you all deserve it! jdh2690@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteAll of these sound so good. I love Ms Callen's alter ego Emma Cane.
ReplyDelete