Spotlight - Wild Irish Heart by Tricia O'Malley + GIVEAWAY and FREE BOOK!

TITLE:    Wild Irish Heart
AUTHOR:    Tricia O'Malley
INFO:    Fiction, 245 pages
PUBLISHED:   Park and Stowell, 2014
GENRE:    Paranormal Romance

ABOUT:  It is time…

An ancient book, a power untouched, and a heart unloved lead Keelin O'Brien from her graduate studies in Boston to a small village on the coast of Southern Ireland. Determined to unearth the secrets lying hidden in the enchanted waters of the cove, Keelin has little time for a surly Irishman who infuriates her during the day and haunts her fantasies at night.
Inexplicably drawn to the woman who has stepped from his dreams and into his world, Flynn fights a stubborn battle against his increasing attraction for Keelin. Forces unknown have better plans for the two.
Only the secrets of the cove can show Keelin who she really is, the beauty of her mysterious power, and a love that will break the bounds of what she knows.
From New York Times Bestselling author, Tricia O'Malley, comes a new romance series set on the rocky shores of Ireland.

EXCERPT:  

"I suppose I should thank you," Keelin stuttered. She tried to regain her composure as she lifted her chin at him.

"Of all the…how do I end up with the woman that is stubborn as all get-out?"

Flynn said to himself as he started the motor and whipped towards shore. Keelin pulled the towel that he had handed around her and tried to get warm.

"You know, most women would have thrown themselves on me in gratitude. You know, promising anything I wanted? Offers of undying devotion? Baked goods? No. You can barely thank me." Flynn glared at her.

Keelin stared regally at him from across the boat.

"I am sure I would have been fine. I just needed to cut across the current is all, and I was a bit disoriented."

"A bit? You were a quarter mile out! You were shark bait. A goner! What were you even thinking? Are you insane?" Flynn lost it as they motored quietly into the cove. His shouts echoed off the walls of the empty cove and Ronan went silent on the beach.

"Hey! You aren't the boss of me! I'll have you know that I am a trained diver. I study this. This is what I do."

"Trained? Hardly! If you were trained you would know not to go diving alone and perhaps maybe to study the waters ahead of time and know that there is a nine-knot current that runs outside the cove. Had I not been out fishing today and heard your cry for help you would have been gone in minutes!" Flynn cut the motor and raged at her.

Keelin stood up on shaky legs and yelled at him.

"I'll have you know that I am a professional!"

"A professional pain in the ass!"

They were nose to nose in the rocking boat. Keelin's breath huffed out and her chest heaved.

Flynn sighed and laid his forehead against hers, surprising her.

"Just. Just don't ever do that again. Please." 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  A New York Times Bestselling author, Tricia O'Malley lives in Milwaukee with her husband Josh, and their much doted-upon dogs, Briggs and Blue. On a typical day you will find her lost in the worlds of her making or working with up-and-coming authors. She loves the entrepreneurial life, is strongly resistant to the cubicle-world, and thrives on creating the life that she's always wanted to live.

www.triciaomalley.com / www.thestolendog.com

Facebook/Tricia-OMalley

Facebook/The Stolen Dog

The book will be free during the tour.

Amazon ASIN: B00NJ0Q0SY / Nook(Barnes & Noble) / Itunes / Kobo / GooglePlay

GIVEAWAY

Tricia is generously gifting a lucky winner with a $50 Giftcard to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. It's easy to enter below. Be sure to check in at all the tour stops to gain extra entries and read more excerpts. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Stops

November 10: Books Chatter

November 11: Punya Reviews...

November 12: Louise Lyndon Romance Author Hear Me Roar

November 13: Unabridged Andra's

November 16: The Reading Addict

November 16: It's Raining Books

November 17: Sharing Links and Wisdom

November 18: Independent Authors

November 19: Christine Young

November 20: One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

November 23: WendiZwaduk ~ Romance to Make Your Heart Race

November 24: Read Your Writes Book Reviews

November 25: Jen's Reading Obsession

November 25: Welcome to My World of Dreams

November 27: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews

November 30: Queen of the Night Reviews

December 1: Long and Short Reviews

December 2: Where the Story Comes First

December 3: Archaeolibrarian- I dig good books!

December 4: Susana's Morning Room

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Spotlight - Margaret Kerr Series by Candace Robb + GIVEAWAY

I'd like to welcome Candace Robb back to One Book Shy today as she wraps up this fabulous blog tour with Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Thank you both for letting me be a part of it. 

You may recall that I reviewed the first book: Trust Betrayed earlier in the tour. I must say that I am even more enamoured of our intrepid detective Margaret and am looking forward to starting the third book. I will plan on doing reviews on both of these books in the near furture. For today we shall shine a spotlight on these next two installments in The Margaret Kerr Series.

The Fire in the Flint

“Intrigue abounds…. Robb’s captivating blend of history and mystery vividly evokes medieval Scotland.” —BOOKLIST 

 Scots are gathering in Murdoch Kerr’s Edinburgh tavern, plotting to drive out the English forces. Margaret takes her place there as innkeeper, collecting information to pass on to William Wallace—until murder gives the English an excuse to shutter the tavern. The dead man was a witness to the intruders who raided chests belonging to Margaret’s husband and her father, the latest in a string of violent raids on Margaret’s family, but no one knows the identity of the raiders or what they’re searching for. Margaret’s uncle urges her to escape Edinburgh, but as she flees north with her husband Roger, Margaret grows suspicious about his sudden wish to speak with her mother, Christiana, who is a soothsayer. Margaret once innocently shared with Roger one of Christiana’s visions, of “the true king of Scotland” riding into Edinburgh. Now she begins to wonder if their trip is part of a mission engineered by the English crown...

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / GOOGLEPLAY / ITUNES /  KOBO / POWELL'S BOOKS / THE BOOK DEPOSITORY


A Cruel Courtship

  

“This is history as it should be told!” —GOOD BOOK GUIDE 

 In late summer 1297, Margaret Kerr heads to the town of Stirling at the request of William Wallace’s man James Comyn. Her mission is to discover the fate of a young spy who had infiltrated the English garrison at Stirling Castle, but on the journey Margaret is haunted by dreams—or are they visions?—of danger. He who holds Stirling Castle holds Scotland—and a bloody battle for the castle is imminent. But as the Scots prepare to cast off the English yoke, Margaret’s flashes of the future allow her to glimpse what is to come—and show her that she can trust no one, not even her closest friends. A CRUEL COURTSHIP is a harrowing account of the days before the bloody battle of Stirling Bridge, and the story of a young woman’s awakening.

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / GOOGLEPLAY / ITUNES /    KOBO / POWELL'S BOOKS / THE BOOK DEPOSITORY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR    

Growing up, Candace Robb wanted to be a ballerina, tap dancer, folk singer, journalist—but on the day that she walked into Liz Armstrong’s undergraduate class on Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, that all changed. A gifted teacher, lively, witty, always laughing even when cringing at a lazy response, Dr. Armstrong launched into the opening stanzas, and within a few lines Candace’s ears adjusted to the middle English—and she was hooked. Chaucer’s psychological study of the two lovers was a revelation to her. The next quarter was The Canterbury Tales. That clinched it. Candace went on to graduate work in medieval history and literature, and ever since she’s been engaged in bringing to life the rich culture of the period, from the arts to the politics. 

She is the internationally acclaimed author of thirteen crime novels featuring the sexy, brooding, clever Owen Archer, who solves crimes for John Thoresby, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England, and the young Margaret Kerr, searching for her missing husband and her role in a Scotland overrun by English soldiers. 

Candace is currently under contract with Pegasus Books for a new crime series set in 15th century York, the Kate Clifford mysteries, which will debut in 2016. Writing as Emma Campion, Candace has published two historical novels about the women of the English court in the 14th century, A Triple Knot and The King’s Mistress. 

 Born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Candace grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has lived most of her adult life in Seattle, Washington, which she loves for its combination of culture, natural beauty, and brooding weather so like Yorkshire, Wales, and Scotland, which she visits as often as possible. 

She has taught the art of writing the crime novel in the University of Washington’s certificate program, and offers workshops in writing the historical novel and in creating and plotting the crime series. Candace (and Emma) blog about writing and medieval topics at A Writer’s Retreat, ecampion.wordpress.com.

Catch up with Candace at:  

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Please join Margaret Kerr as she tours the blogosphere for her Margaret Kerr Mystery Series, from October 12-23, with HF Virtual Book Tours, and enter to win one of three (3) Sets of A TRUST BETRAYED and THE FIRE IN THE FLINT in eBook. Ends tonight at 11:59 EST, so don't wait to enter!

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, October 12

Interview at The Writing Desk 

Tuesday, October 13

Review at Worth Getting In Bed For (A Trust Betrayed)

Spotlight at Just One More Chapter 

Wednesday, October 14 Review at Book Nerd (A Cruel Courtship) 

Spotlight at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book 

Thursday, October 15 

Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf (A Trust Betrayed)

 Spotlight at Buried Under Books 

Friday, October 16 

Review at Worth Getting in Bed For (The Fire in the Flint)

Monday, October 19 

Review at A Book Geek (A Trust Betrayed) 

Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews 

Review & Interview at Singing Librarian Books (A Trust Betrayed) 

Tuesday, October 20'

Review at Singing Librarian Books (The Fire in the Flint) 

Spotlight at The Lit Bitch 

Wednesday, October 21 

Review at Singing Librarian Books (A Cruel Courtship) 

Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews 

Thursday, October 22 

Review at Worth Getting in Bed For (The Fire in the Flint) 

Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection 

Friday, October 23 

Review at A Chick Who Reads (A Trust Betrayed)

Review at History From a Woman's Perspective (A Trust Betrayed) 

Spotlight at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

GIVEAWAY

To win one of three (3) Sets of A TRUST BETRAYED and THE FIRE IN THE FLINT in eBook, enter using the Rafflecopter Widget below. 

Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on October 23rd. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open internationally. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

SPOTLIGHT - Pretty When You Cry by Skye Warren + GIVEAWAY

TITLE:    Pretty When You Cry
AUTHOR:    Skye Warren
INFO:    Fiction, 330 pages
PUBLISHED:   Kindle, 2015

ABOUT:   I came from a place of dirt floors and holy scriptures. They told me the world outside is full of sin, and the first night I escape, I know it’s true. Ivan saves me, but he does more than that. He takes me. He makes me his own girl.

My conditioning runs too deep. Ivan sees what I am.

That’s the thing about showing a mouse to a cat. He wants to play. And it’s terrifying, even for me. Because the only thing darker than my past is his.

EXCERPT:  So far a city looks exactly how I thought it would—gutted buildings and dark alleys.

A den of wickedness.

This morning I woke up on my floor mat in Harmony Hills. Sunlight streamed through the window while dust rose up to meet it. The white walls somehow kept their color despite rough dirt floors.

A desperate trek through the woods and a series of bus rides later, I made it to a city. This city. Tanglewood. It could have been anywhere. They’re all the same, all sinful, all scary—and the only thing that makes this one special is that I ran out of money for bus tickets.

My shoes are made of white canvas, already fraying and black from the grime of the streets. I made these shoes by hand when I turned twelve, and the heel on the left side has never fit quite right. But the bamboo soles lasted four years in the hills. Now they’re cracking against concrete. I can feel every lump in the pavement, every loose rock, every rounded hump as the sidewalk turns to cobblestone and then back again.

That’s not the worst part.

There’s someone following me. Maybe more than one person. I try to listen for the footsteps, but it’s hard to hear over the pounding in my ears, the thud of my heart against my chest. Panic is a tangible force in my head, a gritty quicksand that threatens to pull me down.

I could end up on my knees before this night is over.

But I don’t think I’ll be saying my evening prayers.

Men are standing outside a gate that hangs open on its hinges. They fall silent as I walk close. I tighten my arms where they are folded over my chest and look down. If I can’t see them, they can’t see me. It wasn’t true when I was little, and it’s not true now.

One of them steps in front of me.

My breath catches, and I stop walking. My whole body is trembling by the time I meet his eyes, bloodshot red in a shadowed face. “What’s your name?” he asks in a gravelly voice.

I jerk my head. No.

“Now that’s not very polite, is it?” Another one steps closer, and then I smell him. They couldn’t have showered in the past day or even week.

Cleanliness is a virtue.

Being quiet and obedient and small is a virtue too. “I’m sorry. I just want to—”

I don’t know what comes next. I want to run. I want to hide. I want to pretend the past fifteen years as a disciple of the Harmony Hills never happened. None of that is possible when I’m surrounded by men. I take a step back and bump into another man. Hands close around my arms.

A sound escapes me—fear and protest. It’s more than I would have done this morning, that sound.

I’m turned to face the man behind me. He smiles a broken-toothed smile. “Doesn’t matter what you want, darling.”

My mouth opens, but I can’t scream. I can’t scream because I’ve been taught not to. Because I know no one will come. Because the consequences of crying are worse than what will happen next.

Then the man’s eyes widen in something like fear. It’s a foreign expression on his face. It doesn’t belong. I wouldn’t even believe it except he takes a step back.

My chest squeezes tight. What’s behind me? Who is behind me that could have inspired that kind of fear? The men surrounding me are monsters, but they’re backing off now, stepping away, hands up in surrender. No harm done, that’s what they’re saying without words.

I whirl and almost slip on a loose cobblestone.

The man standing in front of me is completely still. That’s the first thing I notice about him—before I see the fine cut of his black suit or the glint of a silver watch under his cuff. Before I see the expression on his face, devoid of compassion or emotion. Devoid of humanity.

“We didn’t know she worked for you,” one of the men mumbles.

They’re still backing up, forming a circle around us, growing wider. I’m in the middle. I’m the drop, and the men around me form a ripple. Then they fade into the blackness and are gone.

It’s just me and the man in the suit.

He hasn’t spoken. I’m not sure he’s going to. I half expect him to pull out a gun from somewhere underneath that smooth black fabric and shoot me. That’s what happens in the city, isn’t it? That’s what everyone told me about the outside world, how dangerous it is. And even while some part of me had nodded along, had believed them, another part of me had refused.

There had to be beauty outside the white stucco walls. Beauty that wasn’t contained and controlled. Beauty with color. Only apparently I was wrong. I haven’t seen anything beautiful—except him.

He’s beautiful in a strange and sinful way, one that makes me more afraid. Not colorful exactly. His eyes are a gray color I’ve never seen before, both deep and opaque at the same time.

He steps closer, the light from a marquee sign illuminating his face, making him look even more sinister. “What’s your name?”

I couldn’t answer those other men, but I find something inside for him. I find truth. “I’m not allowed to say my name to someone else.”

He studies me for a long moment, taking in my tangled hair and my white dress. “Why not?”

Because God will punish me. “Because I’m running away.”

He nods like this is what he expected. “Do you have money?”

I have fifteen dollars left after bus fare. “Some.”

His lips twist, and I wonder if that’s what a smile looks like on him. It’s terrifying. “No, you don’t,” he says. “The question is, what would you do to earn some?”

Anything.

My voice is just a whisper. “I’m a good girl.”

He laughs, and I see that I was wrong before. That wasn’t a smile. It was a taunt. A challenge. This is a real smile, one with teeth. The sound rolls through me like a coming storm, deep and foreboding.

“I know,” he says gently. “What’s your name?”

“Candace.”

He studies me. “Pretty name.”

His voice is deep with promise and something else I can’t decipher. All I know is he isn’t really talking about my name. And I know it isn’t really a compliment. “Thank you.”

“Now come inside, Candace.”

He turns and walks away before I can answer. I can feel the night closing in on me, the sharks in the water waiting to strike. It’s not really a choice. I think the man knows that. He’s counting on it. Whatever is going to happen inside will be bad, and the only thing worse is what would have happened outside.

I hurry to catch up with him, almost running across the crumbled driveway, under the marquee sign for the Grand, desperate for the dubious safety of the man who could hold the darkness at bay. It’s the same thing that kept me in Harmony Hills for so long—fear and twisted gratitude.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Skye Warren is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of dark romance. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely romantic.

Sign up for Skye’s newsletter:  www.skyewarren.com/newsletter

Like Skye Warren on Facebook:  facebook.com/skyewarren

Join Skye Warren’s Dark Room reader group:  skyewarren.com/darkroom

Follow Skye Warren on Twitter:  twitter.com/skye_warren

Visit Skye’s website for her current booklist:  www.skyewarren.com

~~~~~

Available NOW at AMAZON  ~~~  Special Release Price $2.99 Only!  And for a very limited time, includes the stand alone dark romance novel Wanderlust as a bonus!

Skye is generously giving away a $15 giftcard to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble! See below on how to earn extra entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to visit all of the other sites hosting this tour today. You can comment at each stop and earn entries into this great drawing. Good luck and thank you to Skye for the giveaway and thank you to Goddess Fish Promotions.

1: Blog of author Jacey Holbrand
2: Long and Short Reviews
3: Cover2Cover
4: Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
5: Reviews by Crystal
6: Tory Richards
7: S.L Book reviews
8: Deal Sharing Aunt
9: Cover2Cover
10: The Avid Book Collector
11: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
12: The Voluptuous Book Diva
13: LizaOConnor
14: Nana Prah
15: Tamaria Soana
16: Musings of a Writer
17: One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
18: The Divas of Desire 
19: Urban Girl Reader
20: RhiReading REVIEW
21: DRB1stChp Blog
22: Aspiring Joy Blog
23: Readeropolis
24: It's Raining Books
25: Straight from the Library
26: Margay Leah Justice
27: Liz Gavin's Blog
28: Author Amanda Kimberley LB
29: The Certifiable Wenches
30: Room With Books
31: Babs Book Bistro
32: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
33: Cafinated Reads
34: Teatime and Books
35: Kaisy Daisy's Corner
36: Books Are Love
37: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
38: Writer In Progress
39: Storm Goddess Book Reviews
40: Kenyan Poet
41: Dummy Reads
42: The Book Review
43: Tina Donahue
44: Pink Fluffy hearts
45: Romantic Fanatic
46: For the Love of Bookends
47: Queen of All She Reads
48: BookSkater
49: Wickedly Wanton Tales Blog
50: Underneath the Covers

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review & Guest Post - Moonstone Conspiracy by Elizabeth Ellen Carter + GIVEAWAY

TITLE:    Moonstone Conspiracy
AUTHOR:    Elizabeth Ellen Carter
INFO:    eBook, Fiction, 336 pages
PUBLISHED:   Etopia Press, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  Revolution in France, rebels in England, and one woman caught in the crossfire...

For her unwitting participaiton in a plot to embezzle the Exchequer, Lady Abigail Houghall has spent the last two years exiled to the city of Bath. A card sharp, sometime mistress, and target of scandalous gossip by the London Beau Monde, Lady Abigail plots to escape her gilded cage as well as the prudish society that condemns her. But the times are not easy. France is in chaos. The king has been executed, and whispers of a similar revolution are stirring in England. And because of her participation in the robbery plot, the Spymaster of England is blackmailing her into passing him information about the members of London's upper crust. 

When the dashing English spy, Daniel Ridgeway takes a seat at her card table and threatens to expose her for cheating, she has no choice but to do as he demands: seduce the leader of the revolutionaries and learn what she can about their plot. As she's drawn deeper into Daniel's dangerous world, from the seedy backstreets of London to the claustrophobic catacombs of a war-torn Paris, she realizes an even more dangerous fact. She's falling in love with her seductive partner. And the stakes of this game might just be too high, even for her.

EXCERPT:

Daniel picked his moment carefully. He watched Sir Percy’s wife leave with another group soon after the announcement was made. And although he made no especial effort to hide, he nonetheless remained in the shadows. He pulled out a cigar and lit it on a nearby taper.

As soon as he heard the footman call for Sir Percy’s carriage, he stepped forward into the carriage and waited for Blakeney to join him.

“Send me to France, Percy,” he said as soon as the carriage jolted into motion.

“I’m not going to do that,” Blakeney replied.

“You can’t just leave Jonathan there!”

“He signed on knowing the same risks as you.”

“He has a wife and children!”

“And you seem inordinately fond of them,” Sir Percy snapped back. “You saw the list you gave me tonight. A dozen good men and women dead because of the Jacobins. I’m not prepared to risk more. Not until we know what we’re up against.”

“It could be too late!”

“You took an oath when you joined the League, Ridgeway. One to command, all to obey. Bear that in mind.”

Daniel leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees and exhaled long and sharp.

He felt Percy slap him on the back.

“Just wait a week until we know the lay of the land. I haven’t studied the documents you gave me and Parliament hasn’t even prepared a response to the National Committee’s declaration of war.”

“A week is a long time, Percy,” Daniel warned.

“So is eternity, dear chap. Don’t lose your head. As you well know, those Frenchies have a devilish way of parting you from it.”

MY TAKE:    I wasn't too sure how I was going to feel about this book. The author did such a thorough job of making us absolutely despise Abigail in the first book Moonstone Obsession, that I didn't see how she could redeem her in my eyes. I'm glad I took a chance and read this story. Ms. Carter not only managed to make me "overlook" Abigail's previous behavior, she made me truly like her and cheer for her.

This book, while being a second in the series it is a stand alone read. The first part of the tale really gives us the backstory and builds the relationship between Abigail and the lovely Daniel. We get a front row seat to their romance and watch as it grows along with the stakes of the dangerous path they are on. 

The pace and the adventure really picks up as we get into the second part of the book. I think this is where I especially started rooting for Abigail. She really shows us what she is made of as the tension escalates along with what is at stake for both of them. 

It is obvious just how extensive a researcher the author is. Her attention to the most minute details really pays off as I felt like I was right there with them and could see everything they were seeing. The fact that I enjoy reading stories set in this particular time period makes it an even more enjoyable read for me.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

GUEST POST:

The Seductive Appeal of Spies

by Elizabeth Ellen Carter

The name is Bond... James Bond.

And with that introduction, the hearts of women are all aflutter while the men look on with envy and admiration.

What is it about spies which is so seductive?

I think there are a number of different reasons:

It’s glamorous – (or at least they are in our books, TV shows and films!) Travelling to exotic locations; a seemingly limitless expense account; glamorous soirees; the incredibly fast cars. Those bad guys never seem to rough it in seedy back alleys.

It’s romantic – in these glamorous locales, there is always a beautiful seductress who may or may not be in league with the enemy.

It’s action packed – I’m sure real spies will tell you that 99% of their day is spent in boring paper work, transcribing audio and a whole lot of waiting around. In the world of fiction, no one has time for that, so as a reader or a viewer, we get to the good bits straight away – the gunfights, the chases and super-duper gadgets.

It’s equal opportunity – we’ve had a joke about James Bond, but in the real world and throughout history both men and women have worked as spies and many have become household names – Caleb and Joshua, the two Israelite spies in Canaan and later on Rahab; Mata Hari; Casanova; Sidney Reilly whose exploits were told in the 1983 mini-series Reilly Ace of Spies; in Australia Nancy Wake (code name white mouse) fought the Nazis in France (her life was told in an eponymous 1987 mini-series).

It’s risky – Out of all of the possible reasons why spies are seductive, I think it is this one which has the emotional resonance for both men and women. In today’s modern Western world, life is comfortable, safe and, dare we say it? Boring.

Spies live in a shadow world. Much of what they do is clandestine and even those who are their nearest and dearest may not be aware of what it is they do. At least part of their lives are forced to be lived in secret and, from our perspective as outsiders, secrets are intriguing.

Spies also live in a moral shadow also. This may be one of the few times when the end justifies the means. Spies ‘break the rules’, their role requires them to lie, cheat, steal and occasionally kill.

Under just about any other circumstances, those actions would make you the bad guy, but done for a higher purpose – liberty, justice, freedom – under the sanction of a higher moral authority, provides a validation for those actions.

Spies need the courage of those convictions because their very lives are on the line. The least worst outcome is the bad guys get to wreak havoc. In the worst case scenario the spy will be caught and lose their lives – sometimes by means that aren’t very pleasant.

How many of us today believe in something so absolutely that we are ready to put our lives on the line to defend it?

The heroine of Moonstone Conspiracy, Lady Abigail Houghall is a reluctant spy. Like many throughout history she was ‘turned’ by another. In her case, it was Sir Percy Blakeney, England’s spymaster who saw the potential in the scheming, lying, fearless woman whose notorious past made her an ideal agent. 

Naturally, she had to have a hero worthy of her and that had to come in the form of another spy, the Honourable Daniel Ridgeway who is appointed to be her handler. I had a lot of fun bringing a different side of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror to the fore with Moonstone Conspiracy and I hope you enjoy it too!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

  

Elizabeth Ellen Carter’s debut novel, Moonstone Obsession, was published in 2013 by Etopia Press. Earlier that year, the Regency adventure romance had been shortlisted in the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Awards for Best Unpublished Manuscript. Set in England and France during the French Revolution, it was heralded as ‘edge-of-seat adventure and intrigue’ and ‘a rollercoaster of love, blackmail, ill-gotten gains, treason and trickery’ with Carter described as ‘a writer worth keeping an eye on’ with ‘a hint of classic suspense novelist Daphne du Maurier’.

Her second novel, Warrior’s Surrender, was published by Etopia the following year. Set in Northumbria in 1077, it sets the relationship between a displaced Saxon noblewoman and a Norman baron against the turbulent backdrop of England in the years following the Norman invasion of 1066. Reviewers found the novel ‘a fast moving and passionate read’ with ‘strong characters, an intriguing plot, and plenty of action… a sexy romance to be savoured’. Readers agreed, voting Warrior’s Surrender Favourite Historical Fiction in the 2015 Readers & Writers Down Under Readers Choice Awards.

Also in 2014, the short story Moonstone Promise, spinning off from Moonstone Obsession as part of Etopia’s Valentines Heat anthology, followed the fortunes of one of the supporting characters back home to 18th century Pittsburgh in a tale of ‘second chance romance’.

Warrior’s Surrender (now in print as well as eBook) was named Favourite Historical Fiction at the 2015 Readers & Writers Down Under Readers Choice Awards in March this year.

Carter moved up to 1802 for the light-hearted romantic short story Three Ships, part of the Christmas 2014 anthology A Season To Remember, and ventures briefly into contemporary romance for the first time with her Romance Writers of Australia annual Little Gems competition placegetter, The Tin Bear, publishing in August 2015.

And another Moonstone Obsession character, the sinful Lady Abigail Houghall, features in the full length novel Moonstone Conspiracy, coming from Etopia Press in 2015.

Carter is currently working on her fourth novel, set in ancient Rome and tentatively titled Dark Heart, which will bring together the elements for which she has become known in just a few years – in-depth historical detail woven through gripping adventure and captivating romance.

The author lives in Australia with her husband and two cats. A former newspaper journalist, she ran an award-winning PR agency for 12 years.

Web: http://eecarter.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EECarterAuthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eecarterauthor/

Buy Moonstone Conspiracy here:

EtopiaPress Bookstore

Amazon

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iBookstore

Kobo

GooglePlay

AllRomance Ebooks  

The author is generously giving away a $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to one lucky winner. Be sure to enter and then check out the other blogs on this tour. Good luck and thank you Elizabeth for the giveaway!

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Goddess Fish Blog Tour Stops for Moonstone Conspiracy

October 12:  Romantic Historical Reviews
October 13:  LittlePinkCrayon Book Reviews
October 14:  It's Raining Books 
October 15:  Long and Short Reviews  
October 16:  Reading Romances  
October 19:  One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
October 20:  Unabridged Andra's
October 21:  Buried Under Romance  
October 22:  Queen of the Night Reviews
October 23:  Punya Reviews

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.