DCL's New Top 5 Romance Novels

1) Dreams of a Raven Moon by Veronica Towers

2) The Aphrodite Affairs: Odyssey of Love by Kate Hofman

3) Courting Caressa by S.J. Ronayne

4) Love Fang by Susan Blexrud

5) Burning Heat by Mary Alice Pritchard

"Get Instant Access to Sizzling Romance Novels filled with Passion to sweep you off your feet.And Read Seductive, Romantic Stories of Love, Lust and Chivalry of the Medieval, Georgian, Victorian and Contemporary Eras!"Romantic Stories so Intense you will be lost in the Chivalry of the Medieval, Victorian Princes and Swoon Over the Contemporary Eras.

New Release! Fang Shui by DCL Author Susan Blexrud

John brushed his lips across my neck and whispered in my ear. “She wouldn’t dare show up on our wedding day.”

“After the note I got this morning, I wouldn’t put anything past her.” I chewed on the inside of my cheek.

The “she” in question was Amy Rothbart, partner-in-crime to my husband’s deceased first wife, Catherine. Amy was wreaking havoc in London, assembling a posse of new, young vampires. In fact, Amy being in London was the reason we would be honeymooning in Italy, rather than England.

“Lauren, you have nothing to worry about.” John tucked an errant curl behind my ear. “She’s dangerous in London where she can orchestrate her thugs, but she can’t touch us here in Orlando. Her vampire boy-toys are too young and inexperienced to function outside their home turf.”

“And you’ve got your own newbie to take care of.” My hand slid from around his waist to squeeze his tight butt, and I displayed a flash of fang.

His eyebrows shot up. “Be careful, there are humans present.”

“Ah, but these humans are enlightened.” I was referring to my dental hygienist and good friend, Rosetta Gonzalez, and John’s personal assistant, Doreen Adkins. Rosetta and Doreen had played Cupid on more than one occasion for John and me. Today, they were here in full force with spouses, children, and grandchildren in tow. I smiled at my extended family, all gathered in the backyard of John’s, and now my, Victorian home. I felt loved and supported, and as a new vampire, I needed all the reinforcement I could get.

On this most perfect day, however, the note from Amy was threatening my happiness. Arriving via certified mail, it read: This is a warning. Watch your back. When you least expect it, I’ll be at your throat, and even John won’t be able to save you. Have a nice day! Amy

Nice day, my ass. My lips curled in a pout.

“That is not allowed.” My new husband seemed to intuit my mood. “When we get back from our honeymoon, I’ll take care of Amy, once and for all.” He wrapped his strong arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my head.

I leaned into him. “I can’t help it. I’ve never been threatened before.”

“Surely you’ve had a patient who was less than happy with your handiwork at some time in your illustrious career,” John teased.

“Dentistry isn’t on the list of high-risk professions.” As I thought about it, I had to admit, “I did have a woman once who was disappointed her root canal didn’t come with a face lift.”

John laughed. “I believe it’s been five minutes since I told you I loved you.”

“Why don’t you show me?”

John turned me to face him. He twisted a tendril of my hair between his fingers and gently tugged to bring my face up to his. Kissing my forehead, he then traced his lips from my ear to my jaw. He blew his intoxicating breath across my eyelids, and I closed my eyes as his arm circled my waist. He splayed his hand on my lower back, tipping my pelvis to the most erotic location on his anatomy. I parted my lips in response, and he drew my bottom lip into his mouth to suckle briefly before closing his sensuous lips on mine. He explored my mouth with his tongue while his hand caressed the back of my neck. I lost all sense of place and time in his kiss, and then everything went black.

I opened my eyes to find my head in John’s lap. “I fainted again, didn’t I?”

“I’ll always be here to catch you. Just breathe, Lauren.”

I took several deep breaths and pressed my hand to my racing heart. “Jeez, I think I swoon more now as a vampire than I did when I was human. I’m hopeless.”

“No, you’re extraordinary, and I adore you.” John took my hand from my heart and kissed each fingertip.

Doreen shook her head and tapped her watch. “Too much of that, and you’ll miss your plane.” She crossed her arms and peered down at me.

John’s wacky assistant had outdone herself with preparations for the wedding. She’d lined the stone walk from the house to the gazebo with poinsettias in pink, red, and white. A harpist played Debussy in the gazebo for the ceremony, and the cuisine included iced jumbo shrimp and stone crab claws flown in from Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami.

And then she moved on to her personal decor. She replaced the bar stud in her eyebrow with a diamond, dyed her spiked hair purple to match her lavender “best man” dress, and sported tiny wedding cakes painted on each of her ten fake fingernails. “Seriously,” she reiterated, “you guys need to get moving.”

John eased me to standing. “Knees still wobbly?” he asked.

“No, I’m fine. I’m getting hungry, though.” As a new vampire, my taste for blood was insatiable.

John chuckled. “There’s a carafe on the bedside table.” He pulled me close. “You’ll need your strength for the honeymoon.” Since my transformation to vampire, John had been double feeding on his crime-stopping rounds, and then returning home to feed me. He’d become aroused when I bit into his neck, but he’d hold himself in check until I’d fed. I was concerned that I was taking too much blood, but John said not to worry. “I won’t let you kill me,” he teased. Until I was fully trained, which he promised would be his first priority following our honeymoon, he wasn’t comfortable having me on the streets tracking down criminals with him.

I kissed him quickly on the cheek and headed for the bedroom to change out of my wedding gown. Rosetta, my perfect maid-of-honor, accompanied me. Not only did I love her like a sister, but she’d been through so many weddings with her huge family that she had the details down pat, including owning a tool for unbuttoning the fifty buttons down the back of my gown.

I shivered as I stepped out of my beautiful gown and stood in only my lace chemise.

“You cold, Honey?” Rosetta asked.

“No.” I bit my lip. “I can’t stop thinking about Amy’s note.”

Rosetta patted my arm. “You think that big hunk of a husband would ever let anything happen to you? He’s like having an Uzi and an armored tank at your fingertips. And what about you? Don’t you have some of those special vampire abilities?”

“There’s a learning curve. I feel stronger, but I don’t know how to use my powers yet. Amy’s been a vampire for half a millennia. She’s lethal.” I walked to the large Palladian window that overlooked the backyard. John, resplendent in his form-fitting tuxedo, had organized Rosetta’s children in a relay race. My little Chihuahua, Smokey, was trying to keep up. The sunset over Lake Osceola provided just enough light for the spirited children, who’d been amazingly well-behaved throughout the ceremony. Even Rosetta’s son Fernando, the ring bearer, hadn’t fidgeted. Rosetta joined me at the window and put her arm around my waist.

“Amy couldn’t possibly be as strong as John,” Rosetta said.

“Not one-on-one, but she’s assembling an army. She’s afraid of John. He killed Catherine because she was preying on children, and Amy was Catherine’s apprentice. She wants to avenge Catherine by eliminating me.”

“I can’t picture John killing his wife,” Rosetta said.

I closed my eyes, recalling his deep pain when he told me the story. “It was horrible for him, but she was so evil. She’d steal a baby from his mother’s arms. She devastated whole families throughout London, and now Amy’s on the same rampage.”

Rosetta shuddered--she had six children of her own--and then she nodded out the window at John. “Honey, I still don’t think you have anything to worry about. You’ve got the ‘Vampire Vigilante’ on your side.”

My husband had earned his moniker from The Orlando Sentinel for his campaign to rid Orlando of violent crime. We’d made a pact that when we married, we’d meet halfway. He’d live a more traditional human existence, and I’d learn how to disarm criminals and go straight for the jugular. I figured it was a fair compromise. He was acclimating to daylight hours and studying for the Florida Bar Exam, refreshing the legal skills he’d honed five hundred years earlier as a barrister for King Henry VIII, and I was trying to control my energy field so the washing machine wouldn’t lurch into spin cycle every time I entered the laundry room. I was also gearing up to leap from tall buildings without crashing onto the pavement. My education was a bit more treacherous than his, but my vampire body was much sturdier than the soft human one I’d lived in the first thirty years of my life. My recently-acquired durability gave new meaning to the physicality of sex. John was tender and loving, but he could also ravage me in ways my human body could never have withstood. Yum.

Again, I shivered, but this time it was in anticipation of our honeymoon.


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A review for A HIDDEN AGENDA - 5 Cups from CTR‏

A HIDDEN AGENDA
KATE HOFMAN
ISBN#: 978-1-921347- 95-5
April 23, 2009
DCL Publications
www.thedarkcastlelords.com
E-Book
$4.50
192 pages
Contemporary
Rating: 5 Cups

Benedict Alessandrini understands when it comes to Lily’s memory lapse. He is thankful she is alive and will stand by her side no matter what. Benedict admires Lily’s determination, and the way she always stands up to his mother.

Lily MacLean wakes in a hospital with no memory of what has happened. Most importantly she cannot recall even being married to Benedict. For some reason she draws strength from him.

Lily remembers living with her brother, George, but nothing about a wedding and being married to, Benedict Alessandrini. The sound of his name, though, makes her feel safe and protected. Since she has no recollection of their marriage, she wonders if he will wish to divorce her. She has been accosted by some man who will not leave her alone. Benedict loves Lily and believes her amnesia is temporary. Lily has no recollection of Lucia, her mother-in-law, who has rigid ideas and loves to shove her opinions onto other people. Even as Lily recuperates, Lucia is wild with accusations against Lily. Will Lucia break up Benedict’s and Lily’s love before Lily can even recall their happy memories?

Once again Kate Hofman pens a stirring story that grips the heart. There are some intense scenes, especially with Lily and Lucia that really bite and sting. I have to admit Lucia is certainly one mother-in-law I am glad I do not have to contend with. Benedict is very compassionate and caring, and his love for Lily is indeed genuine. I found Lily humble, demure and sweet, yet strong enough to stand up to Lucia. A Hidden Agenda has all the ingredients to make this extraordinary story one that kept this reader glued. Wonderfully mastered, along with bold and artistic characters, and a vindictive mother that this reader will not forget, this story is awesome.

Cherokee
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

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Review of Walking In Shadows

Here's a new review of Walking in Shadows from PNR
http://www.paranorm alromance.org/reviews/review.php? id=31131


Anna
www.annavolk.com
www.myspace.com/annavolk

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Review of JULIAN'S JUNGLE BOOK by Kate Hofman @ Ecataromance.com‏

Dear Kate,

My 4.5 star review of JULIAN'S JUNGLE BOOK has been posted to the Ecataromance site.

Please find attached a graphic and the link: http://www.ecatarom ance.com/ ?p=1169 for you to use in promoting this review.

Thank you for allowing Ecataromance and the Cataromance Network to review this wonderful and enthralling book.

Kind Regards,
Sheryl, Ecataromance reviews

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LITHA DREAMS gets a 5 Heart Review from The Romance Studio

Congrats Rachel on another wonderful review!

Litha Dreams
Rachel Moniz
Historical romance
Available from The Dark Castle Lords
ISBN: 978-1-921347- 91-7
March 2009

A recurring dream of passion helps Lady Morgan Mackenzie hold out against her mother's matchmaking. None of the suitors came close to being the man who would be her soul mate. Unbeknownst to her, not far away from her castle lives Lord Rowan Buchanan. Rowan is likewise being pressured by his uncle to find a mate. A chance meeting sparks passion between them. But can they pass the inspection of Morgan's demanding mother?
Rachel Moniz pens an enchanting tale of two people who meet in dreams of passion. What a good match the two are! The characters Ms. Moniz builds will take the reader to that special place we find in great fiction
when we can smile throughout a book. This is a happy book of fantasies
becoming reality.
For those who have already found that person who
seems to make our hopes and dreams come true it will be a memorable
stimulus to those memories of finding our true love. For others it
holds the hope that being oneself will make the waiting worthwhile!

This is a great read.

Overall rating:

Sensuality rating: Very sensual

Reviewer: Dee Dailey
April 9, 2009



http://www.theromancestudio.com/

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Re Release! The Ice Palace by DCL Author Bill Haworth

Reviews:

"I quite fell in love with the hero myself... Bill Haworth writes a compelling novel"

Veronica Towers



Truth be told, in my opinion Mr. Haworth missed his calling and instead of appealing to an adult audience already jaded by an oversaturation of the romance genre, this story –in wording, length, and after some decided editing for adult content—is a surefire win with the preteen and teen market.


By Sylvia Cochran

www.roundtablerevie ws.com






ICE PALACE has an almost fairytale quality and atmosphere. I wanted Avdotya’s fairy godmother to arrive and carry them away to safety. Bill Haworth adds in a surprise ending to this delightful tale that made me clap in glee. For an almost magical tale of good versus evil, ICE PALACE is the book to read!



Natasha Smith,

Romance Junkies



Blurb:



There was a fresh Alpine breeze that spring morning of 1739. It gently blew away the morning mist that hovered over the waters of the Italian Lake Garda, and revealed shimmering reflections of shoreline hamlets dotted along its banks. Embedded in the mountain foothills, the lake area was protected from the worst of the weather from above while still enjoying a warm Mediterranean climate down by the lake side. Palm and olive trees flourished, as did tomatoes and vegetables in great variety. The scent from the apple orchards, and the orange and lemon groves charged the air with a sweet pungency.

The lake had an abundance of freshwater fish such as carp, pike and tench, while salmon abounded in the rivers and streams. Wild boar and deer roamed the nearby forests, and a small herd of cows grazed the rich green slopes. Domesticated ducks and geese played at the water’s edge. The mountain streams provided clean, sweet drinking water, filtered through many layers of rock.

With the ambient weather, it was an idyllic oasis; a veritable Garden of Eden tucked away in the mountain slopes; a happy healthy environment for raising families, or recuperating from illness. The folk living there blessed their good fortune, and led a contented existence. Life was, indeed, sweet.

In a log chalet, on a slope overlooking the lake, the dawn sunlight streaked through the bedroom window, casting illuminating fingers of light upon the faces of the young couple still at slumber. The bed and bedroom were littered with rice and confetti. A garland of flowers hung from the corner post of the headboard. On the wedding bed, were partly opened gifts. Clothing and empty bottles of wine were strewn in happy disarray, about the floor.

While songbirds twittered merrily outside, the flickering tentacles of light played on the young man’s eyelids. He gradually awoke, and when his sleepy eyes became clear, he focused them on the beautiful young woman lying alongside him.

He smiled, and playfully caressed her long golden locks of hair spread across the pillow. He marvelled at her voluptuous form. His caresses, plus the dancing rays of sunshine on her face roused her from her sweet slumbers. He blew gently in her ear.

Her eyes flickered without opening. “Good morning,” she said sleepily. He kissed her tenderly, full on the lips. At that moment he was a happy man and knew he had everything in the world he would ever want. Life could not possibly get much better than this, he thought.

She responded to his passionate ardour, and both became locked in a loving embrace. He resisted the temptation to make love yet again.











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Review for Dance of Love by DCL Author Kristi Ahlers

Congrats Kristi on such a wonderful review!


http://www.ecataromance.com/




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DCL is the featured publisher this month!

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Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

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A New Review for Delora's Necklace by DCL Author Susan Blexrud

Congrats Susan on a wonderful review!

http://thepenmuse.blogspot.com/

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New Review for FIELD OF DESIRE by DCL Author Sherri L. Gibson

In this short novella, author Sherri L. Gibson takes her readers on a roller-coaster ride of sensuality and emotion.

The well-developed characters not only come to life through Ms. Gibson's words, but are also so common and real that any reader will be easily relate each to someone from his/her own life.

The simple settings and well-written details keep everything easy to envision while the plot takes main stage, making the reader hope for and fear what might come next.

Ms. Gibson has written this in such a way that every character and emotion becomes so vivid that the reader is easily lost within the story; seeing it all take place before his/her eyes, and wishing they could intervene.

This story tell an all-too-real tale that is sure to stir the imagination, memories, and emotions of every reader!

Thank you,
Stephanie Grace
sapphirefaery@writing.com

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New Review for HANDSOME DEVIL by DCL Author Kate Hofman

Handsome Devil
Kate Hofman
Contemporary romance
Available from The Dark Castle Lords
ISBN: 978-1-921347- 86-3
February 2009

Chiara has worked for Jason as his very capable PA for years, and in that time she has cautioned herself not to develop feelings for him since he has a short attention span when it comes to his women. Jason’s very Greek grandfather has been threatening him to marry the granddaughter of an old friend, and Jason enlists Chiara’s help. Their marriage is to be in name only, however, they soon realize they both want a sexual relationship. Jason’s grandfather doesn’t give up, and the threat to Chiara is very real and could spell the end to their marriage.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It had tons of romance in it, heartbreak, and vivid descriptions of the scenery. Chiara started out as a character I could like, but she was never developed into the woman that her background promises her to be. In her professional life she was excellent – vocal and competent, yet in her personal life she came across as unconfident and a little timid. Jason was your typical Greek hero, successful and rich with all the trimmings that go with that lifestyle. I really liked how he slowly fell in love with Chiara without realizing it. I liked how there was romance between more characters than just Chiara and Jason. Jason’s skill in the bedroom made for some great love scenes. The storyline was an excellent one – marriage of convenience turning into the real thing then threatened by a family member. I would have really loved it had Chiara’s character been stronger.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Lisa Freeman
March 16, 2009

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Her Higland Destiny by Annie Marshall

Release Date: 27 March 2008

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Acess over 50 Online Historical Romances including Seductive Romantic Short Stories and Romantic Fantasies at The Dark Castle Lords. Great Romantic Bedtime Stories by independent authors

Just Released - Gabriel's Quest for Love by Kate Hofman

Castillo Duarte, Long Island, N.Y. – early October

Gabriel Duarte was reading, sprawled comfortably on the sofa of his private sitting room in his parents’ castillo, when his cell phone played its little tune.

“Duarte.”

“Gabriel, it’s Jade.” Jade. My playmate on the painting trip. What can she want? She knew it was over when we got back.

“What do you want, Jade?”

“Dammit, Gabriel, you could’ve been more careful. I’m pregnant!”

Madre de Dios – pregnant. “Jade, you know I always used…”

Jade interrupted angrily. “Yeah, yeah. Well there must’ve been an accident with one. But don’t worry, I’ll deal with it.”

Suddenly afraid of what Jade might do, Gabriel said quickly, “Jade, there’s no need for you to ‘deal with this’. We’ll get married…”

“Are you out of your mind, Gabriel? Married? Playmates don’t get married. No way.”
Patiently, Gabriel tried reasoning with Jade. “I don’t mean a wedding in church with a zillion guests and all that, Jade. Of course not. I thought a quick wedding in a Judge’s chambers – so our child can be born in wedlock.”

“Gabriel, this is the twenty-first century, no one gives a damn any more.”

“Well, I do. Our Spanish relatives would use the word ‘bastard’ freely if my child were….”
“It’s your child now, is it? Well, don’t get all excited, Gabriel. I only told you because I thought you ought to know. But that’s all. I’ll deal with it.”

“That’s not good enough, Jade. You’ll need financial help, not only while your pregnancy keeps you from working, but later, for the child’s…”

Jade interrupted again. “If you think I’m going to be lumbered with a baybee, you can think again. No way would I…”

“Jade, if we get married, I can look after you. Once it’s born, we can divorce, and I’ll take my child. You needn’t be ‘lumbered with it’.”

For a moment, there was silence. Gabriel hoped Jade was considering his suggestion. His hope was soon dashed. “Nah,” said Jade carelessly. “I’ll cope in my own way.”

“Jade, this isn’t something we should be discussing on the telephone.

Are you at your place? I’ll come right over and….”

“No, I’m not at the loft. And there’s nothing to talk about, Gabriel.

I’m going to my sister’s. She’s a born helper of the needy. And right now I need a place to stay, all that boring stuff.”

“Jade, there’s no need to go to your sister— I’m more than willing…”

But Jade had hung up.

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Just Released - A Scot's Honor by C.H. Admirand

Scot's mercenary, Winslow MacInness, rescues a Norman beauty, but how can he help her find her way home if she cannot speak?
While waiting for her to recover, MacInness discovers a woman he can love, one who can replace the woman he can never have, his overlord's wife. But marriage to Genvieve isn't part of his plan until he discovers her life is still in danger and the only way to protect her is to marry her. But will he survive the attempts on his life? Is Genvieve de Chauret behind those attempts?

EXCERPT

“Hang on lass,” MacInness urged. “‘Tis just through the wood.”

Shards of pain splintered throughout his bruised and battered body and his grip slackened. Ruthlessly pushing the pain aside, he focused on the woman in his arms and tightened his hold.
Ebony tresses lay plastered against her ghastly pale face. His throat closed. Was he too late? “Almost there,” he rasped.

Refusing to give in to his body’s clamoring need to stop and rest, Winslow MacInness clenched his jaw and his resolve. If he stopped now, he’d drop from sheer exhaustion. He’d not give the bastards the satisfaction of dying, not now when sanctuary lay just across the open field.

Merewood Keep.

He’d been gone for months, he thought crossing toward the Saxon holding. Though he wished he’d stayed on in the Highlands, fate had brought him home and had him rescuing the woman he carried.

Would she make it? Duncan hadn’t. He must be losing his mind as well as his life’s blood if he was thinking about his dead horse.

MacInness’s mind drifted and he wasn’t paying attention. He slipped on the wet grass, going down hard on one knee. The jagged edge of a rock tore into his flesh. Pain. Thank God he felt something other than the numbness creeping slowly up his shins.

“Hold!” a voice commanded through the mist.

Ignoring it, he placed one quivering leg in front of the other. If he stopped now, he’d never make it. He glanced down; she was still unconscious.

Too long.

The gash on his forehead began to throb in earnest, accompanied by the warm trickle of his own blood sliding down the side of his face.

The first arrow surprised him. He braced for the second one. The tip of the second arrow sliced through the bottom edge of his plaid before plunging into the soft earth between his feet.

The feathered knock brushed against the very top of his thigh and his manly pride.

“Bollocks,” he swore.

The lads are gettin’ better. He shifted his handhold freeing his right hand, prepared to give the signal Garrick had taught him when he swore allegiance and became vassal to the Lord of Merewood Keep. Raising his fist in the air, he waited a heartbeat then touched it to his heart.

The third arrow sailed wildly over his head. A voice called out, “MacInness?”

“Aye.”

“We thought you dead.” Garrick’s shout was echoed by the grating of wood against stone as the gate opened.

“I canna imagine that I’m far from it,” he replied. His vision grayed as the blood oozing from a dozen places reached a crucial level. Darkness danced at the edge of his sight.

His legs wobbled, forcing him to his knees. The impact jarred the deep wound in his thigh. Razor sharp pain lanced through him as the healing wound re-opened. He gasped for breath.


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The Dark Castle Lords

Just Released! For the Love of a Knight by Kristi Ahlers

William the Conquer, the King of England has ordered his trusted knight, Tristan of Ramsey to marry Lady Lysette of Coventry. She is the niece of Lady Godiva and cousin to Hereward the Wake.


Wake is an enemy to the king and word is spreading that he has plans for a revolt in the Midlands. By aligning Tristan with Lysette, William hopes to avoid another bloody battle. Tristan will do as his liege orders but he will protect his heart from his beautiful bride. When she arrive she realizes she is a weakness he can not afford to indulge. She is charming and likes to ramble and yet his heart decides to pay attention to her charming and artless personality.



But, when Lysette is kidnapped by Hereward as a way of forcing Tristan's to abandon his support of the king, he realizes what started as a political match has become a love match and he will not stop until he has his bride back in his arms where she belongs even if it means defying his king.

Excerpt

Ramsey Manor, December 27, 1069

Tristan of Brittany stood rigid and alone on his newly constructed rampart, waiting for a glimpse of the procession transporting his future bride.

To anyone it looked as if the lord of the manor was merely surveying his holdings. In truth, he was doing nothing of the sort. Rather, he was doing his best to deal with his anger and frustration. Considering what he was awaiting, it was a feat of grand proportion she managed to maintain his calm façade.

His bethrothal to Lady Lysette of Coventry was announced the day before by none other than the king himself—William the Conqueror. The wedding would take place on Twelfth Night, as the Yule season was a particular favorite of Williams.

William the Conqueror and his army, which included Tristan arrivedthree years prior; fought and won the battle of Hastings, with theprize being the kingdom of England. Tristan could now add manipulationand to the impressive list of feats performed by the man he calledKing and friend.

Friend or not, he was ordered to marry, and marry he would—for political reasons. Tristan doubted his upcoming nuptials would secure any kind of peace for William, he was equally sure peace would not be his either. He had other concerns. Weighty concerns. He was a battle harden knight—a warrior. What did he know of marriage? Nothing. Nothing at all. He fought for those that could not fight for themselves. He was more comfortable on a destrier or in a campaigntent knee deep in muck than he was sitting his own board.

This was not to say he was unfamiliar with how a manor was to be runor how to deal with the fairer sex. He was well versed on women. The only male in an all female family, he loved his mother and four younger sisters.

Tristan never wanted for female companionship and was often taunted by his fellow knights for his legendary prowess when it came to the softer sex. His handsome visage combined with his reputation as a lover and warrior drew women to him not unlike bees to a flower. He loved everything about women, the way they smelled, the feel of their skin. From the oldest hag to the most winsome of maidens he found them to be a treasure.

Tristan turned at the sound of footsteps behind him and grinned when his first in command and best friend step out onto the battlement.

"I see you are eagerly awaiting your betrothed," Rourke said, as he came to stand beside his friend.

"Leave off, Rourke," Tristan growled, as he continued to search the horizon.


Rourke of Mildenhall had sworn fealty to Tristan not long after he assumed his position in the midlands. But long before Tristan's arrival they both realized they had plenty in common. One being the rainy miserable day standing amongst the carnage after the battle of Hastings.

There on the battlefield with Norman and Saxon alike watering the earth with their blood a bond was formed. A life for a life.

Tristan came upon the grievously wounded man and instead of offering the killing blow he was trained to administer he looked into his foe's eyes and saw the very thing he knew radiated from his own. A desire to live. Shouldering the weight of the Saxon, Tristan carried his prisoner off the battlefield and into a medical tent. That should have been the end of it but again fate did not see fit to sever their connection.

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The Dark Castle Lords