A few lines from "His Shadowed Heart" by Hazel Statham

here are a few lines from:

HIS SHADOWED HEART
by Hazel Statham
From Books We Love
http://amzn.com/B00AWBHHDU

Can a shadowed heart be healed? Can love grow where least expected? The Earl of Waverly believes not. How wrong can he be!

After the death of his wife, the Earl of Waverly, believing his heart irreparably damaged, enters into a marriage of convenience. However, he is not prepared for the healing influence his new young bride has on his life. Despite the couple’s new-found happiness, nefarious deeds abound and strange happenings are attributed to the ghost of his former wife. Will their love stand the test or will the perpetrator emerge the victor?

Excerpt:

Taking a branch of candles that had been prepared for his use from the small table set at the base of the staircase, he started up the stairs, finding it necessary to make light use of the rosewood banister to steady his progress.

Traversing the long corridor to his bedchamber, he paused momentarily outside his wife’s door, but as no light shone from beneath, he continued on to his own apartment. Closing the door quietly behind him he paused in the center of the room. All was in darkness except for the pool of light cast by the candles he held and for a moment, their flickering caught the handle to the connecting door. Yielding to an irresistible temptation, he pressed the handle, and finding no resistance there, entered the chamber.

As in his own room, all was in darkness. Turning to where he knew the bed to be, he raised the candles higher so that their glow spread across the room, illuminating the sleeping figure there. Crossing to the bed, he knelt at her side and extinguishing all but one of the flames, placed the candelabra on a small table at the side of the bed.

The shadows of the remaining light played across Caroline’s sleeping form and he smoothed a lock of hair that had strayed across her forehead. He knew the desire that his lips should follow his finger’s course, but even in his state of inebriation, he knew this would be foolish.

For several minutes, he watched his wife sleep, eventually placing his head upon the pillow beside her. His lips curved into a loving smile as his eyes drank in her sleep-softened countenance, and he felt her breath caress his cheek. The longing to hold her became an almost physical thing and his arms ached with the suppressed desire.

Eventually she stirred, muttering incoherently in her sleep, and he raised himself up. What foolishness is this, he thought. I am acting like a callow youth. Immediately he was on his feet. Snatching up the light, he went quickly out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

PAGAN QUEEN - Medieval Fantasy by Vijaya Schartz

PAGAN QUEEN

Curse of the Lost Isle Book 2
5-star Medieval Fantasy Romance
by Vijaya Schartz

Available everywhere in all eBook formats - Currently 50% off at Smashwords until July 31, along with Vijaya’s other books there (use code top right of each book page)

Smashwords - Kindle - Nook

EXCERPT:


“You almost died. And our son might have lived if you had not disobeyed.” Elinas slapped Caliburn’s scabbard against his leather trews.
Pressine had not seen him so upset since the first day he’d barged into these very rooms, after she had cleaned and rearranged them, erasing all traces of his departed queen. Even the roaring fire in the hearth did not dispel the chill.
“I did not think the child would suffer. At the time, I had to save the villagers.” Still, the guilt weighed heavily on Pressine’s chest, robbing her of the will to defend herself.
“Endangering your life and his, to confront a pack of hungry beasts... alone?” Jaw twitching, Elinas locked his hands behind the back of his purple coat and paced like a caged wolf, eyes ablaze with simmering fury.
“I had the power to stop the carnage. No one else could.” Heart racing, Pressine smoothed her blue dress, trying to sound convincing. “In my vision the wolves slaughtered many women and children. It was my duty to help.”
Elinas rolled his eyes toward the wide beams holding the ceiling. “Do not talk to me about sacred duty!”
Walking the length of the table, he ignored the untouched breakfast of pea flour bread, boiled duck eggs, and fresh goat cheese. If Elinas infuriated so easily, now would not be the time to tell him that Mattacks had tried to kill her. He would never believe it.
“Maybe you did as you pleased among the Ladies of the Lost Isle...” Elinas turned fiery eyes on Pressine. “But in my castle, I am responsible for your well being. You should never have endangered your life. No duty of yours is worth dying for.”
Pressine’s chest tightened at the harsh tone. Where had all the love and tenderness gone? Was this the same man who had pleasured her all night on this very bed, whispering sweet words in her ear?
“You deliberately endangered your life!” A heavy fist slammed the table.
Pressine jumped along with the breakfast food, the pewter cups, and the ewer of mulled ale. Elinas’ anger hurt so much, she wanted to cry, but she steeled herself against the onslaught.
Although deeply shaken, she managed to keep her voice calm. “I am not just your wife, not just a queen. I am a Priestess of the Lost Isle. I belong to the Great Goddess. I thought you understood, since you have some Fae blood in you.”
“So I am told, but it does not affect my judgment.” Elinas glowered from across the table. His dark stubbled jaw tensed.
Pressine braced herself to weather the storm.
“After three years of marriage, you still remain a mystery to me. What are you really?” The feral eyes narrowed to slits. “How many deadly secrets are you hiding from me? Would you leave me if the Goddess demanded it?”
Pressine remained silent. Would she? Could she?


HAPPY READING!

Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
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The joys of writing the medieval series - by Vijaya Schartz

Find all these at all eBook retailers. There is also a special edition comprising the first three books in one download  for a bargain price

 AMAZON - B&N - ARE - SMASHWORDS - KOBO

ITUNES - SONY -  diesel

Well, after the release of LADY OF LUXEMBOURG, Book 4 of the CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE series, I'm now tackling book 5. It will be titled CHATELAINE OF FOREZ unless this working title doesn't stick. It happens sometimes. You write the book, then you think of a better title.

Chatelaine of FOREZ follows Melusine to this not so well known region of France, from the two branches of the river Loire to the source of the River Rhone. South of Burgundy and north of Provence, a land of green hills and mountains, a land of rivers and lakes, a land rich in iron and gold. So rich in fact, that the Romans used its gold to finance their many conquests.

Ancient legends are attached to this land. Little is known of early medieval times there. All I have to go on is a legend, folk tales, obscure genealogies, and the ruins of many castles built, according to legend, by Melusine the Fae. My hero is the first Count of Forez and Lyon, Arthaud, and his enemy is Archbishop Boniface of Lyon.

The bishops of the time were princes of the Church, nobles of high birth not lucky enough to be the first born, so they did not inherit their fathers' lands. Instead, their rich families purchased for them seats of power in the Church. So most of these bishops weren't even religious. They craved power and riches... and lands. They raised armies, and took advantage of the unstable political climate of feudal society to gain by the sword what they did not inherit by birth order.

I will not tell you much about the story, as it still evolves in my mind as I write. I'll tell you more about it as it takes shape. CHATELAINE OF FOREZ is scheduled for release in December 2013.

I hope you are enjoying reading this series as much as I enjoy writing it. It has been a long time in the making, I have been researching it for many years and still do research as I write it.

There will be more novels in this series. The next one, scheduled for 2014, will feature Melusine's sister Palatina, and her adventure as she goes on to he First Crusade. Then will come the story of Meliora, the guardian of a sacred castle on Mount Ararat during the Crusades, and forever forbidden to love.

HAPPY READING!

Vijaya Schartz

medieval romance with a kick

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

A Few Lines From "A Knight For Love" by A.M.Westerling

A Few Lines From "A Knight For Love" by A.M.Westerling

http://amzn.com/B00C8HC146 

"I am Warin de Taillur," he said simply. He gestured with his chin to the fresh mound and crudely fashioned cross. "Your traveling companion is now in a better place."
Alyna nodded, mute in her misery, the words slowly penetrating her mind. Traveling companion. David. She blinked hard, once, twice, against the tears, forcing them back. She had no time to cry anymore.
She sucked in a huge, ragged breath. How rude the man must find her. First she had hailed him, now sorrow over David's death held her tongue. In truth, she hadn't expected the knight to stop but he had. She opened her mouth to thank him and lifted her gaze enough to finally look him full in the face.
And froze, mouth yet gaping.
He radiated power. It emanated from his every pore, permeating the area around him with a tangible force she could almost reach out and touch.

"From vikings to viscounts, join the adventure, live the romance."
www.amwesterling.com
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The Church in Medieval Society

     I write historical romance set in the 830s, and I’m going to share some information about religion during the Middle Ages.

     My newest release is book three in my Evolution Series. The word “evolution” is meant to describe the changes my characters go through as they grow to love each other, and each of the titles describes the hero. The new book is called Vain, so now you have an idea of what Theophilus is like! He cares very much about his looks, but he is also bored and lonely.

     I strive to present the time period realistically. Living conditions were rustic compared to ours, and most people still lived on a subsistence basis. One segment of society that was already strongly separated and amassing a great deal of wealth was the Catholic Church.

     During the Middle Ages in Europe, Catholicism was the only organized Christian religion. The Pope ruled the Catholic Church from Rome, and often exerted influence over the secular rulers of the day, as well. Cardinals were the senior priests of important churches.

     Bishops were extremely powerful in their respective nations and local communities. They were sometimes members of the nobility. A bishop managed the churches within his diocese. He could tax the peasants and collect a great deal of wealth on behalf of the Catholic Church. In the early Middle Ages, a bishop might even have led his own army. Some bishoprics owned vast tracts of land, making these religious organizations quite powerful in secular society.

     Local priests filled a large role in the community. In addition to collecting tithes (in money or goods) to be shared with the bishop and performing mass and the other religious rites most of us are familiar with, priests educated children and often acted as clerks for the government or local nobility since few people could read and write. Priests were allowed to be married during part of the Middle Ages, and when they weren’t supposed to marry, some maintained mistresses or paid fines to the church to be allowed to do so anyway.

     It is hard to know what the uneducated lay people thought of their priests and bishops. Mass was given in formal Latin which parishioners may have understood due to the repetition over their lifetimes. People in the Middle Ages were firmly segregated in class, and the religious class was considered to be even higher than the nobility because they were closer to God. Much like organized religion today, the quality of the religious experience for a community probably depended a great deal on the personality of the priest assigned to it.

     Here are two links for buildings I used in my new book, Vain. The first is Murbach Abbey, which Theophilus passes during a journey. Also, I based the church in the town of Ribeauville on St. Justinus. Most surviving medieval churches have been expanded and altered, but it is still really wonderful to see the buildings that worshipers visited 1,200 years ago.

     I’ve mentioned Theophilus a few times, so here is an excerpt featuring Lily, my heroine, so you can learn a little about her as she attends mass.

BEGINNING OF EXCERPT

     Lily stared up at the clerestory windows, enjoying the flood of bright sunlight in Ribeauville’s magnificent stone church. The light spoke to her of happiness. The two rows of pillars supporting the roof spoke of permanence. The townspeople surrounding her spoke of kinship. The priest spoke of humility, reminding in his thin voice how we must be content with our position in life and not look higher until the day of our eternal reward. Lily thought that was probably good advice for a woman in her predicament.

     She no longer looked farther than her next embroidery stitch. Isolated and alone in her dark shop, she imagined she could just push and pull her needle right into that promised eternity. When she slept, she dreamt of gold thread flowing around her like water. The yellow current carried her and while her mind yelled, Fight! the strands were too strong. They continued to move her, bobbing her like a bit of flotsam among their glistening richness, though she felt nothing. No wetness. No coldness. No fear. In her sleep, she was simply resigned that the river of gold thread was all there was and all that there would ever be. World without end. In saecula saeculorum.

     The priest ended with a Latin benediction most of the congregation did not understand. Lily had purposely chosen to stand in the back corner where she would be least noticed. She waited, watching Arn’s and Belinda’s families work their way toward the exit as one unit. Belinda wore a passable blue tunic and veil that set off her creamy skin. Her rosy lips parted in a giddy smile before she disappeared through the rear door. As Lily approached the same door, the normal noise of post-service fellowship increased with feminine squeals of excitement and masculine laughter. A knot of grinning people surrounded Arn and Belinda.

     Lily saw Cerise lift a clay-stained hand, a silent request for her to wait. Lily pretended not to see, trying to escape, swimming against the stagnant crowd. Cerise caught her elbow gently. “In case you have not heard,” she whispered, “they became betrothed last night. I can say nothing against Belinda. I am sorry for your sake, Lily. I never dreamed you would be left so alone.”

     For as long as Lily could remember, Arn had been the loom she would weave her life upon. Arn had been her choice for her future. That choice had been acknowledged and approved by Cluny and Cerise, Willis and Ramona. The finality of losing him hit her like frigid water, closing on her until she could not breathe.  She had been cast adrift from everything solid in her life. She could not form the words to describe Arn’s desertion, nor did she trust her voice to speak them. She studied Cerise’s pained expression and let her own anguish show, grateful to the soles of her feet for the sheen of tears that grew in the older woman’s eyes. At least someone understood, even if that someone was powerless to help her.

     Lily clenched her jaw and nodded curtly. Cerise nodded back. They separated with a final squeeze of one another’s fingers.

     Lily blanked her face, mouth in a half smile, gaze on the dead grass that surrounded the church. She pretended to feel no more than those dead, dry blades as she wound her way through the crowd that, for the most part, ignored her.

     A man’s voice called her name. The Lord of Ribeauville. He appeared to be inconvenienced. She could not begin to imagine why. She stared at him, almost daring him to say the wrong thing in front of his population. One ill-advised word would have her raving like a lunatic.

     “How is my tunic?” he inquired briskly. “You had made such good progress the last time I saw it, I expected to have the thing worn out by now.”

     He said the right thing. He brought her back to a place she understood while reminding his citizens that a tailor lived among them whom he entrusted with his garment. She rubbed her sore fingertips together, longing for fine wool cloth and the meticulous embroidering work. The Blood of Christ, now her only tether to her pride and her old self. “I am very pleased with it, my lord,” she replied. “Do you wish me to bring it to your house this week for your inspection?”

     “If you are out on other business,” he answered. “Do not make a special trip.”

     “Very well, sir. Thank you.” She hurried away, and later had no memory of her walk down the hill and through the town and into her house. She only knew that another hand’s length of the complex design threaded along the left cuff of her lord’s fine tunic before she slept that night, pressed up tight against the wall and, blessedly, dreamless.

END OF EXCERPT

I hope this has intrigued you enough to want to read more of Vain and the Evolution Series available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo, and other vendors. My books are also in print from Amazon and CreateSpace. I have a sweet romance (no cussin’ or hanky panky) called Sass Meets Class set in 1880s Arizona Territory.

If you’d like to keep up with me and my writing pursuits, I write a blog, I am on Facebook, and I tweet @jillhughey.