New Release Wednesday + Fr*e Book!!

Please help me welcome another great author, LANA WILLIAMS! Not only does she have a sexy Medieval story for you today, but she's offering it FREE beginning Friday!

You can learn all about Lana at these sites - Links/websites:  www.lanawilliams.net (author website) www.thrivingwriters.com (blog)

But come on back and read more about this fabulous story!

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Thank you so much for having me, Jennifer! 

I’m excited to share that A VOW TO KEEP will be available for free download this weekend, beginning Friday, 8/3. Don’t you love the cover? A huge thanks to the team at Hot Damn Designs! ;)

        The road to publication has certainly been a lengthy one with many hills and valleys! I’ve been writing for a long time and seriously pursuing publication for the last eight years. Of course, that’s while balancing a family and a day job with my passion for writing. Two years ago, I signed with an agent and while that hasn’t yet resulted in a sale to a traditional publishing house, that along with several contest wins boosted my confidence. The best part of my journey has been the friends I’ve made along the way. Those are priceless!

         I’ve moved away from feeling like I need a special place or the right atmosphere to write. I grab my laptop or a notepad and write whenever and wherever I can. Sometimes that’s sitting on the couch in the evenings with my family and sometimes it’s getting up at 5 a.m. to work while sitting in my bed with a cup of coffee. I write a minimum of 6 days a week, and I’m a big fan of the 15 minute method to make sure I’m fitting writing into my day no matter how crazy my schedule looks.

   

      My critique partners rock! I can’t imagine writing without them and I’m so grateful that fate (and our local RWA chapter, Pikes Peak Romance Writers) brought us together. We each have our strengths and together, we’re a force! Sometimes you need a village to get to the best version of your story. J We have similar goals, an inner drive that keeps us going, and a never ending desire to improve our craft. And we all believe in striving for balance in our lives. This includes a balance of mind, body, and spirit, as well as a balance of our families and our writing careers.

In fact, two of us have a blog on this topic: www.thrivingwriters.com. We believe a positive outlook, letting go of the ‘hows’, and continuing to take action toward your goal will get you there. Writing is a tough business and surrounding myself with this amazing group of ladies has kept me moving forward.

  

      My personal love story could easily be the premise for a romance novel! My husband and I met when our friends married and we walked up the aisle together in their wedding. Sweet, huh? J

    

      My current WIP is Book 2 of The Vengeance Trilogy, TRUST IN ME, coming September 2012 to Amazon.  It follows the story of the little boy, Nicholas, in A VOW TO KEEP, now a grown man, and is a twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast theme:

Lady Elizabeth Crefton, in a desperate attempt to save her half-crazed father, offers herself as wife to a lord whose hatred for her is surpassed only by his desire for vengeance.  While she's guilty of many things, she's not the treacherous seductress he presumes.

Ravaged by visions that have plagued him since childhood, Lord Nicholas de Bremont has vowed never to take a wife, though Elizabeth stirs him beyond measure.  Determined to see his brother avenged, he agrees to her outrageous offer but adds a punishing stipulation of his own--he refuses to bed her. 

As they keep up the pretense of a marriage, Elizabeth guards her heart from the angry lord who appears to despise her, but his small acts of kindness crumble her defenses. Nicholas is terrified Elizabeth will unveil his dark secret.  When his visions divulge a villain who intends to harm her, Nicholas must choose whether to save her and accept her trust and love or continue to keep his secret and claim vengeance.

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Blurb:

A VOW TO KEEP, Book 1 of The Vengeance Trilogy

England 1245

Revenge was all he lived for...until he met her.

Sir Royce de Bremont has spent his entire life plotting revenge against his traitorous uncle. Kidnapping the man’s bride-to-be brings Royce one step closer to fulfilling his vow of vengeance.

Lady Alyna of Montvue has no desire to marry nor to become a pawn in a game of vengeance. Her only wish is to find a safe place to raise the orphan gifted with second sight she vowed to protect.

The beautiful lady and her precocious son make Royce long for a family of his own, yet until he reclaims his birthright, he has little to offer them. Alyna soon realizes this bold knight has captured her heart but fears she’s merely part of his plan for revenge. As passions rise, Royce must choose vengeance or love.

Available exclusively through the KDP Select program as an e-book or paperback on Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/bwtodu6

Links/websites:  www.lanawilliams.net (author website), www.thrivingwriters.com (blog)

Excerpt:

More than anything, Royce wanted to comfort her, to lift the sadness and uncertainty from her face. Again, the strand of hair at her cheek teased him, and he could resist the urge no longer. With a slow movement, he gently eased the lock behind her ear. The moonlight emphasized the elegant lines of her face, hollowing her cheeks and lighting her eyes. She looked up at him with such a sweet, earnest expression.

What was a man to do but...

Kiss her.

Slowly. Passionately. Waiting for her to withdraw and demand he stop. But no protest left her lips, only a soft moan that heightened his desire. He kept the kiss light, not wanting to frighten her away, needing more than anything for her to stay right where she was, in his arms.

The longer he held her, and the longer he kissed her, the more he realized it was not enough. He ached for her touch, to feel her softness against him. He pulled her closer and molded her body to his.

As though she read his thoughts, her arms reached up to his shoulders, their warmth burning through his tunic. She deepened the kiss and tentatively twined her fingers into his hair. Shivers of longing rolled down his spine.

Never had a woman affected him like this. But never had a woman been so wrong for him. A landless knight set on vengeance was a terrible match for a lady. Royce knew this could go no further, not here, not ever. He had to let her go.

In just a moment.

After he had one more taste of her. He would hold her a bit longer, because this would be the last time he did. The memory of this kiss would have to sustain him in the lonely nights to come for he feared he’d never feel like this again.

Her soft whimper was nearly his undoing, nearly more than he could take. Releasing her mouth, he leaned his forehead against hers and took a deep breath to rein in the desire pulsing through him.

Hell’s teeth. What was he doing? This woman was his lord’s granddaughter. Why the thought didn’t force him to release her with great haste was beyond him. It mattered not that she was already a mother, a woman experienced in the ways of the world. She was not his to take and never would be.

With great effort, he set her away from him. “My apologies, my lady. That was a mistake.”

“Excuse me?” Her confusion overrode the desire lingering in her eyes.

Royce felt his resolve weaken and took a step back to shore his defenses. “That was an error.”

Alyna stiffened, obviously affronted at his words, just as he’d intended. “What do you mean?”

He turned away. Another moment of looking at her, and he’d draw her back into his arms.

“If you don’t find me attractive, then why did you kiss me?”

Surprised, Royce spun back toward her. Not find her attractive? How could she think that? His need for her strained his chausses. But a closer look at her vulnerable expression confirmed the beautiful Lady Alyna didn’t realize how desirable she was.