Robin Danner - Author of Historical and Paranormal Romance 

The lovely Jessica Cale dropped by with an exciting exerpt and gorgeous cover. Enjoy this taste of historical goodness!

Virtue’s Lady

Author: Jessica Cale

Publisher: Liquid Silver

Release Date: April 13th

Tagline

From toiling for pennies to bare-knuckle boxing, a lady is prepared for every eventuality.

Blurb

     Lady Jane Ramsey is young, beautiful, and ruined.

    After being rescued from her kidnapping by a handsome highwayman, she returns home only to find her marriage prospects drastically reduced. Her father expects her to marry the repulsive Lord Lewes, but Jane has other plans. All she can think about is her highwayman, and she is determined to find him again.

    Mark Virtue is trying to go straight. After years of robbing coaches and surviving on his wits, he knows it’s time to hang up his pistol and become the carpenter he was trained to be. He busies himself with finding work for his neighbors and improving his corner of Southwark as he tries to forget the girl who haunts his dreams. As a carpenter struggling to stay in work in the aftermath of The Fire, he knows Jane is unfathomably far beyond his reach, and there’s no use wishing for the impossible.

    When Jane turns up in Southwark, Mark is furious. She has no way of understanding just how much danger she has put them in by running away. In spite of his growing feelings for her, he knows that Southwark is no place for a lady. Jane must set aside her lessons to learn a new set of rules if she is to make a life for herself in the crime-ridden slum. She will fight for her freedom and her life if that’s what it takes to prove to Mark—and to herself—that there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25238694-virtue-s-lady

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Virtues-Lady-Southwark-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00VC6B9SS/

Liquid Silver (20% off!): http://www.lsbooks.com/pre-order-coming-soon-romance-books-c322.php

Author Bio

Jessica Cale is a historical romance author and journalist based in North Carolina. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for several years where she earned a BA in History and an MFA in Creative Writing while climbing castles and photographing mines for history magazines. She kidnapped (“married”) her very own British prince (close enough) and is enjoying her happily ever after with him in a place where no one understands his accent. You can visit her at www.authorjessicacale.com.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.authorjessicacale.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicacale

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaCale @JessicaCale

Google+:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JessicaCaleWrites

Tumblr: http://authorjessicacale.tumblr.com/

Pintrest: http://www.pinterest.com/rainbowcarnage

Tsu: https://www.tsu.co/jessicacale

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Cale/e/B00PVDV9EW/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9819997.Jessica_Cale

Hiya, lovelies. Thanks for visiting my little spot on the web, and if you're here for Love, Lust, and Laptop's Holiday Hop, thank you for following our blog this year! We're always happy to engage with our fans, and I hope you've enjoyed visiting each of our individual sites.

Since it's the holiday season, how about we play a game? The first person to name all of Santa's reindeer will win a copy of my latest release, Sins of the Flesh. One, two, three, go....!!

But once you're finished Googling the answer (like I'll have to do), let me share a bit of holiday cheer with you. This year, I embarked on a new journey. I released my first ever self-pubbed work on Sunday. Sins of the Flesh is now available at Amazon and as a gift to my readers for the season, it's specially priced at 99 cents.

I know you're probably thinking...what in the world does this have to do with the holiday season? Well for me, it marks the end of a year long journey. Sins of the Flesh began as a story I planned to pitch at RT. It then entered the Kindle Scout competition. Sadly, neither of those worked out, which was a good thing as I'd planned to embark on my self-pub experience and Sins of the Flesh seemed as good a place to start as any. I'll be spending a lot of my December on the promotion wheel. Aside for this week's release, I also have Paranormally Yours boxed set (as Christy Gissendaner) come out yesterday. It's also priced at 99 cents and some stories within the set have holiday themes, so be sure to check it out. My follow-up to In Too Deep (as Christy also) is dropping on Dec 26th. So I'm super busy, but never too busy to play "Santa Clause." My boys are dreaming of four wheelers. I have three boys, so you can bet momma is hoping for major royalties to afford all the gifts! Hehehehe.

So even though my December is packed solid with book activity, I'm excited to spend the time with my friends and family, but I never want to forget my readers. To me, bringing as many works as possible to my fans is the ultimate gift I can give.

Happy holidays, ya'll, and I hope you enjoy "hopping" with the ladies of Love, Lust, and Laptops!

As always, I'm excited to hear that my pal, Ann Gimpel, has a new release. Don't believe me? Check out the trailer for Blood and Magic on Youtube. Isn't it freaking awesome?!? Keep reading to learn more about Ann's latest release, available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Want a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card? Enter the rafflecopter below.

Can Luke conquer his past and claim the only woman he’s ever loved?

Blurb:

Magic didn’t just find Luke Caulfield. It chased him down, bludgeoned him, and has been dogging him ever since. Some lessons are harder than others. Luke survives by embracing danger and upping the ante to give it one better. An enforcer for the Coven, a large, established group of witches, his latest assignment is playing bodyguard to the daughter of Coven leaders.

Abigail Ruskin is chaperoning a spoiled twelve-year-old from New York to her parents’ home in Utah Territory when Luke gets on their stagecoach in Colorado. A powerful witch herself, Abigail senses Luke’s magic, but he’s so overwhelmingly male, she shies away from contact. Stuck between the petulant child and Luke’s raw sexual energy, Abigail can’t wait for the trip to end.

Wraiths, wolves, and humans with dark magick attack. Unpleasant truths surface about the child and Abigail’s well-ordered world crashes around her. Luke’s so attracted to Abigail, she’s almost all he can think about, but he’s leery too. In over his head, he summons enforcer backup. Will they help him save the woman he’s falling in love with, or demand her immediate execution?

Excerpt:

…It wasn’t Luke but a long, drawn-out shriek that brought Abigail thumping back to consciousness, her heart hammering triple time in her chest. Eyes wide and staring against the darkness, she warded herself just in time. Strong magic battered her. She tried to sense Luke, but that was the problem with wards. They protected by forming an impenetrable barrier and corralled her magic inside.

Whatever was pummeling her seemed to have given up. She risked chinking enough of a hole in her warding to send a tendril of magic outward because she needed information. When it came, it terrified her so badly, her heart stuttered. Dark things surrounded them: wraiths, mad wolves—those who’d been turned to serve the other side—and humans who’d sold their immortal souls for forbidden knowledge. Had the girl rallied them? How could she possibly be that powerful? Luke didn’t seem to be anywhere. Abigail hoped he’d concealed himself out of harm’s way, because the two of them couldn’t make the slightest dent in the dark horde outside. The stagecoach rocked and she realized someone was climbing onto the roof. Throat so dry she could barely breathe, she mended her warding.

The books. That’s what they want… Let them haul the miserable things out of here. She knew she should risk heaven and hell to keep such knowledge out of dark hands, but Abigail didn’t see how throwing her life away would alter the outcome. She heard voices speaking the Satanic tongue, and then dragging sounds as someone transferred the trunk to the ground. Luke shouldn’t have bothered to put it back up top, she thought grimly.

What had the Girauds been doing with such arcane tomes in the first place? She supposed there was the slightest chance they’d been protecting them from falling into the wrong hands. Yes, by all means, let’s give Coven members the benefit of the doubt. Except it was a struggle, and she didn’t know who the hell to trust anymore.

She waited until it was absolutely still outside, and a tentative scan told her the dark host she’d sensed earlier had moved on, before loosing her wards. The minute she did, she felt Luke’s energy. He pulled open one of the coach doors. “I scared up a couple of horses from a nearby farm. We need to go after those books—and the girl.”

She fought down the protest that rose to her lips, but it slid out anyway. “There aren’t enough of us.”

“Fixed that problem too.” He smiled grimly. “I can ward you if you want to stay here, but if you’re coming we need to get moving. Don’t want to let the trail get too cold.” From the smirk in his voice, she knew he was being sarcastic.

She sent her magic spiraling outward and felt the books pulsing with evil. No way that path would ever get cold. “Why couldn’t I feel them this strongly before? I know the trunk had to have been spelled, but still…”

“The trunk was spelled, and by someone with magic to burn. It’s over in those trees. I guess Carolyn’s minions were in a hurry and didn’t have a wagon.”

Abigail felt like a rube. The book trunk had already been packed and sealed when she’d picked Carolyn up in New York. She’d never even thought to examine it. “Did you see Carolyn?”

“Yup.” His upper lip curled into a sneer. “Caught a glimpse of her riding a mad wolf.”

“Do you suppose there’s some way we could separate her from Goody Osborne?” Abigail bit her lip nervously.

Luke shook his head. “Even if we could—and I don’t think it’s possible—there are too many unknowns. Her parents might have been turned. If that happened, the kid could have embraced evil before it entered her body. By the time we sorted all that out, the dark would have had one too many chances to kill us.”

Abigail winced at the unvarnished truth in his words. Any residual doubts she held about the necessity of destroying the girl melted away. “Yes,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’m coming with you.”

Luke boosted her onto one of the horses. She pulled her skirts out of the way. It was a normal saddle and this was scarcely a time for modesty. Luke vaulted onto his horse, kneeing it, and they took off up the Overland Stage Road at close to a full gallop. “We’re making too much noise,” she sent.

“Doesn’t matter. They’ll expect us to come after them.”

She clung to the horse with her legs, enjoying the feel of not having to ride sidesaddle. Luke’s horse was larger, faster, and soon pulled so far ahead she could barely see him. She kneed her horse, urging it to greater speed, but the animal shied, and then reared. Abigail struggled for balance and called magic to calm the spooked animal. Something sprang at her and knocked her to the ground. She sent killing magic to stop its heart, before realizing what it was. Panting, she crawled out from under a black and gray mad wolf with blood dribbling from its nostrils, and glanced warily about. Were there more of them?

Carolyn stepped from the shadows. It looked as if she was alone, but Abigail suspected otherwise. “What do you want?”

“Simple enough. I plan to use you to get rid of Breana Giraud—and others.” A sneer twisted the girl’s features into something unpleasant. “You think people don’t know you’re part of Coven government?”

Abigail set her mouth in a hard line. “Fine. So the other side knows about me. Question is, who are you really?”

“Don’t you recognize me?” Carolyn stepped closer and turned her face from side to side as if posing for a photographer. “I gave you my name, but I am far more than that.”

She’s arrogant. Perhaps I can use that in some way. Abigail spread her hands in a placating gesture. “Because I’m used to seeing you as Carolyn Giraud, I’m not certain who you are.” She paused for emphasis. “I’d like you to tell me.”

“Certainly.” A feral grin made the child look like something out of a nightmare. “It is always better to know who your adversary is.” Her voice became soft and silky. “I have access to magic you would kill for. You may not know it, but you’d like to work for us.” She laughed, but it sounded more like broken glass shattering against itself, than a twelve-year-old girl’s mirth. “We have real power, not that paltry tripe the Coven settles for.”

Abigail waited. When Carolyn didn’t say anything else, she said, “I’m listening…and considering your offer. Life is always better than the alternative.”

“Ha! They said you couldn’t be turned, but I told them they were wrong. I am The Promised, resurrected out of legend. Goody Osborne was but a start, and this little girl is merely a convenience.” Something like an outraged squawk followed the words, but Goody silenced Carolyn almost immediately. “What I really want is you, Abigail Ruskin.”

Shit! She couldn’t be The Promised… “You mean the Dark Messiah?” Abigail scrunched up her face and held her breath, hoping against hope she’d gotten it wrong.

“The same.” A supercilious expression etched into the girl’s features. “At least the other side has heard of me. Warms my black, black heart.”

“The books—?” Abigail hunted for a connection while she rode herd on terror that threatened to immobilize her, and clouded her judgment. If ever she needed a clear head, it was now, but her mind raced feverishly.

“They weren’t doing the girl’s parents any good moldering away in that underground chamber. I’d actually been searching for them for years.” She flashed a sly smile. “They used to be mine…”

About the Author

www.anngimpel.com

http://anngimpel.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/author/anngimpel

http://www.facebook.com/anngimpel.author

@AnnGimpel (for Twitter)

Short Bio:

Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent. Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing. A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Her longer books run the gamut from urban fantasy to paranormal romance. She’s published over 20 books to date, with several more contracted for 2014.

A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.

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It's always a pleasure to spotlight my pal's new releases. Today I have Rosanna Leo. I'm a fan-girl in case you don't know. Check out her hot Gemini Island shifters!

Blurb:

Lynx shifter Marci Lennox has worked at the shifter-friendly Ursa Fishing Lodge and Resort all her adult life. It’s more a home to her than a job. When her boss goes on vacation, putting her in charge, Marci is thrilled. Finally a chance to prove she has the mettle to run a resort.

Her confidence is shaken when new employee Anton Gaspar appears. One look at the mysterious tiger shifter spells trouble for Marci and for her sex-crazed lynx. Anton is judgmental, condescending, and a little misogynistic. Unfortunately, Marci’s lynx thinks his tiger is more delicious than an oversized bag of Maltesers.

It becomes difficult for Marci to remain neutral near Anton, especially when she learns of his troubling past and unusual family circumstances. However, when dangerous incidents occur on the resort, the lynx woman and tiger man join forces to combat the threat to the lodge and its guests.

Harder still is the quest to combat their explosive feelings for one another. As they explore their mutual passion, they realize the danger at the resort is more insidious than they ever envisioned. Their dreams, their love, and their very lives are at stake.

Excerpt:

Immediately, the fragrance hit him, activating his Jacobson’s organ. He swallowed, tasting it on his tongue and at the back of his throat, and wondered if he was mistaken.

No, how could he mistake the unique scent of a female cat in heat? It was too delicious a scent to forget. Sweetness coated his taste buds, winding a delirious path down his throat. As his head swam, he blinked and tried to clear his thoughts of the sexual imagery racing through it.

The scent did not belong to another tiger shifter, but some other type of predatory cat. One whose perfume he hadn’t sampled before. One who must be particular to this region. Cougar? No. Mountain lion? Surely not.

Whatever she was, her scent teased him with its delicious flavor.

Don’t, he warned himself. Wasn’t it enough that he spent the last few years of his existence trying to escape the sick wiles of the grasping women at court? And God only knew how hard he’d worked to maintain a state of abstinence at Pannonhalma, devoting his life to meditation. He’d come here to work, not lose himself in a sweet piece of…

Stop it. This was no time to think of pussy, even though he’d never been more desperate for a taste of creaming woman.

His tiger howled inside him, hungry for that which it had been denied for almost two years.

Still the perfume, more intoxicating than any he’d known, wafted toward him. He wanted to close his eyes and drink it in. The unyielding power of the aroma could make him forget his vows. Granted, he wasn’t really a monk, but he had followed the monastic lifestyle from day one at Pannonhalma. The purity in the monk’s life had been the very thing he’d required to get his life back on track.

So why did he want to find the source of the scent and fuck her until she begged alternately for mercy and for more? Her need seemed strong. Whoever this lady cat was, she must be in dire agony for her scent to be so powerful.

None of his business.

Mentally caging the growling tiger inside him, he shook his head and approached the front desk. He dropped his luggage and cleared his throat at the woman working there. Her head had been down as she read some reports, but she looked up now.

“Welcome to the Ursa…” Her jaw fell open and her sentence hung in the air, unfinished and clearly forgotten.

Well, well. A beautiful little lynx.

*****

Predator’s Refuge is available at http://www.lsbooks.com/predators-refuge-p872.php and all e-outlets.

Author Bio:

Rosanna Leo is a multi-published, erotic romance author with Liquid Silver Books who lives and breathes paranormal romance. Several of her books about Greek gods, selkies and shape shifters have been named Night Owl Romance and Two Lips Recommended Reads. When not writing, she can be found haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair. www.rosannaleo.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/rleoauthor1

www.twitter.com/LeoRosanna

www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826852.Rosanna_Leo

Help me welcome Haley Whitehall to the blog today, where's she talking history and her new release!

1. Welcome, Haley, to my blog. Please tell us about your latest release, Civil War Valentine, and where our readers can find it.

Civil War Valentine is one of six novellas in the anthology Love, Valentine Style. It is available exclusively on Amazon, and it is free today: Amazon.com and Amazon.uk

Here is the blurb for Civil War Valentine. It isn’t my usual historical romance.

Charlie Bristol comes to Seattle to set up a traveling Valentine's Day exhibit. The director of the museum surprises her with a package of Civil War valentines from an anonymous donor. She is touched by the heartfelt messages. Does such powerful love still exist?

During a nap she dreams she's alive during the Civil War and meets Elliot Lowery, the author of the valentines who mistakes her for his fiancée Charlotte. She and Elliot negotiate the murky waters of wartime romance. When she wakes she's still under the dream's spell and Valentine's Day love is in the air. Can love work some miracle time and death cannot overcome?

2. You center many of your tales around the Civil War. Is there a particular reason you’re so fond of this setting?

I get that question all the time. The Civil War has always been my favorite time period. I have a history degree, and the 19th century U.S became my area of concentration. Sometimes I wonder if I had a past life during the Civil War…

3. What do you like to do for fun?

I like to hike… in the mud, across ice I don’t care. Getting fresh air and being close to nature helps me clear my head and plot my stories. I also enjoy reading (big surprise, right) and playing with my black cat.

4. Your website says you’re a member of Write on the River. What is this?

Write on the River is my local writing organization. We have a yearly writing conference in Wenatchee, Washington every May. The organization strives to help writers of all genres from non-fiction to children’s books, to romance. The Write on the River workshops are what helped me to get published.

5. If you could travel anywhere in the world, past or present, where would you go?

In the present I’d love to go to Australia. It is on my bucket list. If I could travel back in time I’d like to stay on a cattle ranch in the 1870s. I love a cowboy!

6. Boxers or briefs? ; )

Boxers. 

7. You live in Washington State, yet many of your stories feature slaves. Were slaves common in Washington? Can you give us a brief historical snippet about your hometown?

Washington State was the 42nd state admitted to the Union in 1889. The Civil War ended in 1865 so we weren’t involved in the Civil War or slavery. I don’t have any local history to rely upon, so it is a good thing I have a large library of diaries and other books to help with my research.

I live about three hours from Seattle which is the largest city in Washington. My hometown has the comforts of city life while being small enough to also have the small town feel. I like living so close to the mountains. Deer often come across the street and nibble on the trees.

8. What’s next for Haley Whitehall?

Actually Civil War Valentine has inspired me to start writing a new series involving a family of women with second sight who happen to fall in love with ghosts. They are contemporary/paranormal with a historical twist.

9. If you could choose one of your books to make into a major motion picture, which would it be and why?

Oh boy, that’s a tough question since I love all my stories. My debut release Living Half Free tells the story of a mulatto slave boy who passes as white and falls in love with a Cherokee woman. It is more historical drama than romance. I would choose it to be a major motion picture because it is similar to 12 Years a Slave. (I am so excited Chiwetel Ejiofor was nominated for a best actor Oscar!) Right now people seem to be interested in learning about the dark parts of U.S history which is good, and I think Living Half Free would be well received.

10. And lastly, where can readers find out more about you?

Readers can always visit my website http://haleywhitehall.com/ or connect with me on Twitter @HaleyWhitehall.

Thanks so much for coming by, Haley, and chatting with us today!

We’re celebrating the release day party today for contemporary adult / erotic romance novel, “Halfway Hidden”.

Get your own copy of this novella on Amazon now!

Read an excerpt

“Can I get a drink?” The voice startled her, and Rachel froze for a moment, glancing up at the mirror lining the wall behind the bar. The stranger stared back at her, his face reflected in the glass. Their eyes met and she dropped her cloth, the fabric square falling to the wooden floor. She took a deep breath, trying to still her racing heart before turning around with a smile painted on her lips.

“Sure, what can I get you?”

It was as if he’d appeared out of nowhere. A ghost walking through walls.

“What beers you got?” Like hers, the stranger’s voice seemed out of place. It was an accent that unnerved her to the bone. She hadn’t heard it for more than a year, save coming out of her own mouth. All she had to do was closer her eyes, and it was like she was back in Boston.

“You want draft or bottle?” Her lips were dry as hell, and she snaked her tongue out to moisten them. The stranger kept his gaze glued to her face as he considered the options, fingers tapping gently on the bar. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, his thick hair showing no signs of grey. His face remained unlined, though peppered with light stubble, the dark-blond scruff shadowing his jaw. He was good looking too, in that rugged, tough way that some guys were. Even sitting on the bar stool, she could tell he was a big man: tall and built. The thick muscles of his chest fought with the fabric of his t-shirt to make themselves known, and the muscles were winning. It felt like the temperature had risen by forty degrees. She pulled at the neckline of her sweater to fan her skin.

About Halfway Hidden

When fear mixes with desire, who can you trust?

Rachel Stone is stuck, contemplating that very question. Spending her time as a bartender in an isolated West Virginia town, she hides behind dark hair and an assumed name. She exists from day to day, trying not to let her past overwhelm her.

When a tall stranger walks into the bar at closing time, her attempts at hiding turn to dust. Muscled and intense, he is attractive enough for Rachel to ignore her instincts and listen to her baser desires. As a storm brews in the skies of West Virginia, confusion builds in Rachel’s mind. What begins as flirtation explodes into a darker, more primal passion, leading her to question everything she thought she knew.

While snow blankets the outside world, they are forced to remain inside, confronting their demons and the sizzling attraction between them. Submitting to their urges is easy; learning who to trust is anything but.

Advisory: This 30,000 word erotic romance novella contains references to past abuse.

Author Bio

Carrie Elks lives near London, England and loves to write sexy stories with a dash of intrigue. At the age of twenty-one she left college with a political science degree, a healthy overdraft and a soon-to-be husband. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK.

Nowadays, she spends her days sorting out people’s problems at work and her evenings glued to a computer keyboard. An avid social networker, she tries to limit her Facebook and twitter time to stolen moments between writing chapters.

Her favorite authors include L.H. Cosway, Samantha Young, Cara McKenna and C.J. Roberts.

When she isn't reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.

Links

www.carrieelks.com

www.twitter.com/carrieelks

https://www.facebook.com/CarrieElksAuthor

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7266211.Carrie_Elks

Giveaway

To celebrate the release day party, there’s also a giveaway. First winner will get a $15 Amazon Gift Card, and second winner will get an eBook! International.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NDgxMTE5NjgyNzA1NGZmODg4OWFlOWIyMGJjODY5OjA=/

When I sat down to start writing The Princes Bound shortly after the birth of my first son, I had only a basic plot. Okay, to be completely honest, I mostly just had a title. I’m a pantser, so the story came to me as I wrote.

The princes were easy to create. Mathis is a scholar, who only wants peace for his kingdom. His brother, Talin, is a playboy prince with hidden depths. Nadia, the heroine of The Princes Bound, is where I truly veered off course.

Nadia is Talin’s favorite soldier. She is beautiful, yet skilled in the art of war. She has lived her entire life in the shadow of her father, a knight and the top advisor to the crown of Noventia. Her older brother dies in battle and cements Nadia’s determination to enter the army. She quickly rises to the rank of Captain and is appointed the duty of bringing Mathis to Noventia by whatever means necessary.

It was a joy to write Nadia’s character. Today’s market is filled with angst-ridden heroines, many of whom are plain annoying. (I’m not one to bash online, but I’m sure the readers know who I’m talking about, despite book sales going through the roof!) Nadia is strong and knows what she wants, but she is not used to feeling what she does for Mathis. Yet she is not going to overanalyze her feelings to pieces, a trait which I adore about her.

I also wanted to prove that a historical heroine does not have to be a bluestocking, or a wallflower, or even a debutante. (Although I love those as well!) I wanted a heroine that was fierce and didn’t need a white knight riding to her rescue. If there is any rescuing to be done, Nadia is quite capable of handling it herself.

I would like to say that I had a feminist reasoning behind Nadia, but sadly I didn’t. I just wrote a strong female character that I hope readers relate to.

Nadia and Mathis’ romance are featured in the first book of my series. Find out more about The Princes at http://robindanner.webs.com.

Welcome to the Tortured Hero blog hop. I'm excited, as always, to be a part of this exciting event. And who doesn't love a good tortured hero story? I know I'm a sucker for one. In my latest book, The Princes Knighted, Hugh is just such a character. When he's chosen to escort Sara, the princess' sister to her wedding, he is doubly damned. First off because he's fighting the feelings he's always had for his childhood friend. Secondly, because he learns a devastating secret that will threaten his family and his kingdom. As the orphaned son of a knight, Hugh is raised by his grandfather and aunt. He appears in the first book of the series as a seventeen year old army recruit. By the time his story rolls around, he is twenty-one and has been knighted by the Noventian prince. Years of fighting in a bloody rebellion has turned the once-cheerful lad into a hardened warrior. But one look from Sara, the princess' sister, just may bring him to his knees.

Hugh d'Acry is quite easily my favorite character in The Princes series. He's featured in the first three books and will make a reappearance in the fifth, and final, installment. Keep an eye out for the fourth in the series, The Princes Wanted, where a handsome duke and an intriguing highwaywoman clash.

Join the remainder of the hop at http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/ and for a chance to win a copy of The Princes Bound, book 1 in my Princes series, please comment below. What is it about tortured heroes that gets your blood simmering?

Well it's official. The Princes Wanted (book 4) has been offered a contract and will be coming to LSB on May 6, 2013. For the fourth book, I debated long and hard on the heat level. After gathering several opinions, I went with my gut and upped the heat level. Since my heroine is a widow, not a typical virginal type, I figured a higher heat rating wouldn't be out of place. Yet I worried since this is the fourth in a series that I was making a mistake. I'm hoping I didn't!

Now here's a bit about The Princes Wanted, featuring the Duke of Aronia and Wren Moseley.

The Duke of Aronia has it all...good looks, admiration, and the love of his royal family. The one thing he no longer has is a signet ring given to him by his beloved grandfather. To find his ring, Niall is prepared to do whatever it takes.

Wren Mosley has lost everything...her parents, her husband, even her home. She resorts to robbery to protect those she loves. On a snowy night, she encounters the duke and steals his ring. Little does she know by agreeing to help him recover his ring will take them both on a journey into danger and love.

I'm very excited about Book 4 and I hope ya'll enjoy it!

Happy reading!

Robin

We all have them...that one character we create whom we can't seem to get out of our head. For me, that character is Hugh d'Arcy. He first appeared in The Princes Bound as a 17 year old recruit. He plays a larger role in The Princes Determined when he goes to assist Prince Talin in the rescue of Rowena and her sister. Now finally...FINALLY!...the time has come for Hugh to get his own story.

On Monday (see my previous post), The Princes Knighted is hitting cybershelves at www.lsbooks.com. The romance between Hugh and Sara is a sweet one, but filled with heartbreak and intrigue. Have you guessed who the rebel leader is yet? If so, keep it to yourself. Don't wanna spoil the surprise ya know? The identity will soon be revealed, I promise.

So who else has a favorite character? I know I'm not the only one!

And just in time for The Princes Knighted's release, LSB is having their anniversary sale. Snatch up your copies of The Princes Bound, Determined, and Knighted at 25% all through the month of January at www.lsbooks.com!