BOOK BLURB: Ex-naval captain Colin Lord has had his fill of hot-headed adventure. Now, he wants nothing more than to put his tragic past behind him and pursue his career as a London veterinarian.
Heiress Lady Ariadne St. Aubyn is on the run. She wants nothing more than to get the last of a rare breed of racehorse safely away from her wastrel brother before he and every reward hunter in England can catch her.
But when the fiery noblewoman convinces the reluctant veterinarian to oversee the health of her equally temperamental stallion, both Colin and Ariadne find themselves caught up in a wild chase across Regency England in which love, passion — and the Fastest Horse in the World — are all part of the stakes. A treat for animal lovers everywhere!
EXCERPT:
For some odd reason that he couldn’t explain, Colin wasn’t surprised to find the same young woman who had piqued his curiosity and plagued his thoughts from the moment he’d seen her sitting astride that same stallion, waiting for him outside in the street.
No, not surprised at all.
“Colin Lord,” he said, taking off his hat and bowing. “And whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?”
“How gallant you were today, saving that little boy’s dog as you did!” she said hurriedly, ignoring his question. “I commend your persistence, your skill, and your knowledge. I have never seen anything quite like it in my life. You were magnificent. Simply brilliant!”
Magnificent?
“Where did you learn such a thing, sir? You must be appropriately educated.”
“VeterinaryCollege, London. I graduated from there, and did an apprenticeship with Delabere Blaine— ”
“Ah yes, the VeterinaryCollege. My father, God rest his soul, had great faith in the future of the veterinary art and gave much money to support that institution. Always said it was a pity that France had a veterinary college before England did . . . After today, I can certainly see why he harbored such belief in your profession. Your knowledge far surpasses that of the common farrier and I think you’ll do quite nicely.” She smiled nervously, and glanced over her shoulder down the darkened street. “Are you ready to leave, Mr. Lord?”
“Leave?”
“Why, yes, leave. I trust Simon and Daniel told you that I have need of your services, and that there is no time to be lost. We must be on her way, and immediately.”
“To be fair, Madam, your two lackeys here were not entirely forthcoming or persuasive in their attempts to convince me to accompany you. I understand that you want something from me—”
“Yes, but I am willing to pay handsomely for it.”
“And I also assume that you are the ‘employer’ whose whereabouts were unknown to your two friends here.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“They said something about Norfolk, sick horses, and payment. Pray, madam, do not keep me in suspense.”
She was obviously not accustomed to such direct and relentless questioning, and he saw her pause for a moment before she finally tightened her mouth, stood up, and pulled off her cap. In the lantern’s soft glow her hair tumbled down, gleaming rich and red and lustrous, like a warship’s new copper. She drove a hand through it, obliterating the flat imprint left by the cap and making the glossy tresses spring and bounce to life around her shoulders. For the first time, he saw her features in all their glory—the impudent little nose, the high cheekbones, the saucy tilt to her perfect mouth. Her skin was the color of his mother’s finest china, her eyes alight with piquancy. She was more lovely than he’d imagined, and he suddenly found it too hard to breathe.
“What?” Her eyes sparkled, and he caught the challenging, almost teasing, note to her tone. “Have you never seen a lady before?”
“Not . . . garbed so charmingly.”
It was a bold reply, and he saw her brows shoot up, the quick burst of color in her cheeks before she quickly turned her back on him and moved to stand beside the stallion, her hand stroking the horse’s muzzle with rapid, nervous movements.
REVIEW: This story is a revision of the paperback version and the author herself had said that she had “extensively revised” it from the original. As I never read the earlier version, I can only comment on this one, and in my opinion, this is such a heartwarming, sweet and utterly cute romance story.
It truly melted my heart. Our hero Colin is such a mix of Alpha & Beta hero that comes of so human and likable that I just wanted to hug the guy!
Ariadne was a perfect little minx for him and someone with an enthusiastic, flirty and charming nature like hers was the only one that could draw him out of his suppressed state.
Their little adventure is a mix of expected to the unexpected [and no, I’m not going to tell you what that is!].
The author’s knowledge of horses is clear and she makes even someone like me that knows nothing of horses, wishing to learn more of those scary beasts!
This is a lighthearted, fun and entertaining book, yet sensual as well. I loved the adventure, suspense and despite its predictability, it had some surprises and I loved the suspense built with it [not going to tell you that either!].
This should be a fun, fast-paced and steamy summer read and I highly recommend it to all, but animal lovers especially! To buy it, click on the cover!
AUTHOR BIO: Bestselling, multi-award winning and critically acclaimed author Danelle Harmon has written ten books, previously published in print and distributed in many languages throughout the world. Though born and raised in Massachusetts, she and her husband, a native of southwest London, were married and lived in England for several years.
These days, Ms. Harmon and her husband make their home in New England with their daughter Emma and numerous animals including four dogs, an Egyptian Arabian horse, and numerous pet chickens. Danelle welcomes email from her readers and can be reached at her Email or Facebook.
W.C. Fields said “Never work with children or animals,” and for a lot of people that holds true for romance books, too. Some readers really dislike having children or animals in books, others love them. Me? I say it’s all in the execution. Sweetly lisping precocious bratty-type children? Little saintly critters? Generally no — though I have written several books with children. Animals? Well, I’m a sucker for animals.
The reason W.C. Fields said this was that children and animals generally attract the audience’s attention away from the star — him. And it’s true. There are no children in THE AUTUMN BRIDE, but there are animals — specifically kittens. I started with my heroine’s sister rescuing a cat and a litter of young kittens from a building that was going to be demolished. That was it. It was just meant to be a slight plot complication. But kittens have a way of attracting attention…
When Abby discovers elderly aristocratic invalid, Lady Beatrice Davenham living in squalor and at the mercy of her rapacious neglectful servants, she’s invited by the old lady to move in with her. Abby and her “sisters”, calling themselves the Misses Chance and pretending to be Lady Beatrice’s nieces, move in, sack the servants and set about improving life for Lady Bea and themselves. It all works beautifully until Lady Beatrice’s nephew Max returns from the Far East and demands to know who these impostors are. So we’re all set for a confrontation — right?
Remember how I said animals upstage the stars?
“My nieces, Max,” said Aunt Beatrice with a smile that had a lot in common with the look the little cockney had given him. Lying through her teeth and daring him to deny it.
But why? “Damn it, Aunt Bea—”
“Later, Max,” she said airily. “Thank you, girls. My nephew and I have much to catch up on. Featherby, perhaps a cup of tea in half an hour.”
Max waited with folded arms as the girls bustled about gathering things—magazines and bits of lace and fur and fabric lay scattered all over the counterpane—and examining him surreptitiously from beneath lowered eyelashes….
(snip)
Why the hell had his aunt claimed them as her nieces? Was it some kind of blackmail? Or threat?
The women were still fussing over the bits of fabric, sorting them in a manner calculated to annoy him.
“That will do,” Max snapped. “Collect it later.” He moved to sit on his aunt’s bed.
As he did so, five women and a butler shrieked.
“What the—”
Lady Beatrice snatched up a tiny white kitten from the spot where Max had been about to sit and cradled it to her bosom. “Max, you could have killed her.”
“Well, how was I to know you’d taken to keeping cats? I thought it was a bit of fur.”
“It is—attached to a kitten. This is Snowflake, and over there is his brother, Marmaduke.” A small tortoiseshell kitten emerged from under a magazine, regarded Max and yawned extravagantly.
See? They upstage. But Max, being a hero, rallies, of course, and takes the kittens in his stride…
He reached out to pat the white ball of fluff, and a small black missile flew out and attached itself to the fabric of his sleeve. It clung determinedly, growling.
“What the—” Max picked his assailant off his sleeve. Black as soot, black as sin, the tiny piece of fluff sat on his palm and stared back at him, undaunted, then clamped needle-sharp teeth down on his thumb.
“Ouch!”
“This is Max,” his aunt said. And then, bewilderingly, “Stop it, Max! That’s a very bad habit.”
Max frowned at her. “I beg your pardon?”
Mischance, repressing—not very successfully—a smile, came forward and removed the kitten from his grasp. “Yes, Max,” she said sternly addressing the kitten, face-to-face. “A very bad habit.” The kitten gave her nose a few exploratory pats.
“You named that kitten Max?” Max said.
“Yes.” His aunt beamed up at him.
“Why?” He looked at the small, scruffy kitten, now resting against the soft bosom of a deceitful woman. The creature was too young to know the dangers of that.
“Because he is bold and dashing and handsome, of course,” said his aunt.
“Because he is always off adventuring and never where he ought to be,” said Miss Abigail Chance at the same time. With a pointed look, damn her cheek. What did she know of his business?
She held the small black kitten against her bosom, caressing it behind the ears. Max the kitten purred blissfully, like a rusty little coffee grinder.
Max the man glowered.
See? The poor man hasn’t a chance. Not only are there five women to deal with — all of them lying in their pearly white teeth — there are kittens. . .
W.C Fields would sympathize.
So what about you? Are animals in books a problem for you? Or are you an animal lover? And if so, what’s your favorite animal? Tell us for a chance to win one copy of my book!
*INTERNATIONAL Giveaway
For Anne’s Bio, click on her pick. You’ll love it!
STORY: Governess Abigail Chantry will do anything to save her sister and two dearest friends from destitution, even if it means breaking into an empty mansion in the hope of finding something to sell. Instead of treasures, though, she finds the owner, Lady Beatrice Davenham, bedridden and neglected. Appalled, Abby rousts Lady Beatrice’s predatory servants and—with Lady Beatrice’s eager cooperation—the four young ladies become her “nieces,” neatly eliminating the threat of disaster for all concerned!
It’s the perfect situation, until Lady Beatrice’s dashing and arrogant nephew, Max, Lord Davenham, returns from the Orient—and discovers an impostor running his household…
A romantic entanglement was never the plan for these stubborn, passionate opponents—but falling in love may be as inevitable as the falling of autumn leaves…
REVIEW: This story opens up in 1805 with our young hero Max finding out that he’s come up in the world and is to inherit a title of Lord Davenham from his uncle. That however wasn’t the worst of it. Along with that title, he is informed that not is he only broke, but he is in so much debt that the only option left to this young man was to get himself off to India and work hard at amassing wealth so that he can pay-off all of those creditors and have enough left over to reestablish and restore his own name.
Before he embarks on this trip and in order to accomplish this personal goal, he now must offer a pound of flesh to only one man who is shrewd and smart enough to accept it as a bargain and for the future benefit to both of them. As he leaves England, he makes sure that his solicitors will be taking care of his elderly Aunt, Lady Bea, who is residing in one of the property’s he refused to sell because it has been her home for many years.
It’s now 1816 and while Max is still in India getting rich, our heroine Abigail Chantry has been putting up with a lot of abuse in a few positions she’s had as a governess and the only reason she did, was that she loved their children.
In her latest position, she gets some disturbing news about her only sibling and her request to be allowed to offer aid to her younger sister falls on deaf ears of her employers and is threatened with eviction if she disobeys them. Abby is left with no choice but to ignore the uppity couple she’s working for, secretly rescuing her sibling and a couple of young girls that were helping her with that task. Not long after her employer kicks her out and now all four girls are dependent on Abby’s skill and wits for their survival and that’s when she meets Lady Bea, alone and woofly neglected in her town house, wishing for death to take her.
Anne Gracie does it yet again! She created a wonderful story of a unique, strong willed and very witty heroine. She then sets out to play a matchmaker for her with a man who is duty bound to marry another and tries to ignore his desire for Abby. Add to the story a motley crew of supporting characters that are given smart, witty and frankly brilliant dialogue, and what you have is a heartwarming and funny, romantic and sexy, memorable love story.
I promise you, the pacing is such that by the time you come to that last sentence at the end of the book, you’ll be surprised and sad it’s over. This promises to be another of her wonderful series and I for one can’t wait for the second book to come out!
Mel’s Author Recommendation: Today I’d like to jump in myself and tell you about this author I discovered a couple of years ago. Her name, then, was Ashley March.
I honestly don’t know how we got introduced to each other [we never met in person] but from the start, we hit it off. It was like we’ve known each other forever. I remember being scared to pick one of her books to review because I was dreading it being bad!
In the end, I was so glad I started to read them.
Have you ever read a book that grabbed you from the first sentence? The opening scene? Well, that’s Elise Rome aka Ashley March. Her stories are character driven by heroes and heroines breathing life to the story she’s telling. Her plots are fun and entertaining.
When I asked her if she’d like to stop by and be featured this month, she politely declined as the book she is writing now has yet to be finished. That, however, didn’t stop her to offer to push her fellow author Carrie Lofty. She recently read ‘His Very Own Girl’ and was blown away by the story and wanted to spread the word to all of us bookworms out there. What a class act this woman is!
Ashley March will have her new book, under her brand new name of Elise Rome, out probably some time next year and I for one will be here to welcome her under that name.
And as we all are waiting for it, I thought why not give you a taste of her prose? Now, get a cup of coffee, tea or whatever poison it’s the closest to you, and enjoy this short excerpt.
Clicking on the cover, you’ll find a two chapter excerpt. For further information about Elise, please click on her photo or the links provided.
EXCERPT:
“Miranda wrapped the shawl around her shoulders then returned the bonnet to her head, carefully tying the ribbons in a bow. Shadows edged her vision as she watched Mr. Astley stride back to his chair.
Envy curled in her chest at the way he moved: no tucking of the chin or stooping of the shoulders for him. No hurrying as if through dank and filthy lanes, constantly looking to the salvation of the next alley. No fear of being preyed upon inside this grand hulking town house, where servants guarded his every step and power made his words both currency and weapon.
Her gaze flew to the plate of food on his desk. The tower of food. Pastries stacked so thick and high, with golden, flaky crusts, and he ignored them all. Hadn’t even spared them a glance while toying with her earlier, moving his books into their own sturdy little tower.
Cherry. They would be cherry tarts, she was certain. The sauce sweet and voluptuous, juice exploding from the bits of fruit and gushing over her tongue. A buttery shell, so soft and moist as it crumbled against the roof of her mouth—
God. Saliva ran slick over the insides of her cheeks. Her stomach clenched with greedy fervor.
Wicked, her father had called her, for daring to seek work from a nude portraitist. Wicked, he’d said she would become, warning that her duties in such a depraved household would likely be the same as a harlot’s.
Perhaps he’d been right, Miranda thought, swaying a little. She’d stood in Astley’s house for less than an hour and already felt quite wicked. Envy and greed and taking the Lord’s name in vain. Soon she would succumb to the sins of theft and gluttony. Lust, presumably, could not be very far behind.
Astley had hired her. Hired, when everyone else had threatened to fetch the constable or sneered in her face. And all she could think about was snatching the plate of pastries and scurrying away like the mouse he’d likened her to, hunkering down in the nearest corner as she shoveled the tarts into her mouth—one, two, three…there would never be enough to calm the gnawing inside.
“Miss Post?” Suddenly he was there, in front of her again, his hand cupping her elbow.
How she resented him—for his casual disregard of the pastries, for knowing he need only ring the servants’ bell to summon more food from his kitchens. He should have emptied the plate as soon as it was delivered; the contents should now be stretching and warming his stomach rather than lying there untouched, taunting her.
He probably knew nothing of the sour taste of hunger, of these awful black shadows that dimmed sight, of the cold and numbness and hollowing inside. He’d likely dripped with sweat under the summer sun, when even at noon in August she’d been forced to wear a shawl and her thickest stockings in a futile attempt to keep warm.
Indeed, he was hotter than the sun now: the fingers he wrapped around her arm sent heat sinking into her skin, through her flesh, to her very bones. Miranda fought the instinct to lean into him, to climb up and wrap her body around his. She could steal his food and all of his heat and not have to worry about becoming hungry or cold again until the next day.
Hired. The word whispered again in her mind. She’d not yet settled her faith on it, though. It sounded like a promise. A very nice promise, but then she knew how transient promises could be. And this one wasn’t nearly as substantial as the endless ache she woke to and fell asleep with each day.
“Miss Post?” he repeated, neither altering the inquiry’s volume or tone. He seemed to employ patience like some men used a blade; it made her wary. “You denied illness yet appear as if you might collapse at any moment. And retrieving you from the floor would be very inconvenient. The mud, you see.”
The whores across from the tenement would have crawled all over themselves for a chance at Mr. Simon Astley, so kind and chivalrous was he.
“Come now,” he coaxed. She wondered whether he was conscious of stroking the inside of her elbow with his thumb, whether a caress—like patience—was just another of his preferred tools in extracting information. She wondered whether he realized there was mud at her elbow, too. “We’re not strangers anymore, are we? You may tell me the truth.”
She hadn’t said it in nearly two months. She’d rather have stolen the pastries, but his grip was too tight for her to escape. She darted another covetous glance at the plate and immediately felt her pulse throb with regret. Foolish. Foolish. Confessing her weakness in such a way.”
BOOK BLURB: Nothing Gets Between a Lady and Her Vengence…
In a daring rescue, beautiful and wily secret operative Cora deBeau is reunited with her childhood friend Guy Trevelyan, who wants so much more from her now than friendship …
He’ll Stoke the Fire Until They Both Go Up In Flames…
But Cora’s mission against the French has become personal, and even the fire between her and Guy won’t deter her. When it comes to getting sweet, cruel revenge, nothing will stand in a lady’s way…
EXCERPT:(Setup: The year is 1804, England. Miss Cora deBeau and Guy Trevelyan, Earl of Helsford, just finished a Tai Chi session in a meadow near the woods. Up to this point, Cora has resisted touching Guy because of the atrocities she endured while in a French dungeon. This scene is a major turning point in their relationship.)
“Guy grasped her hand and led her to a large, fallen tree. Atop the lichen-crusted trunk sat her red leather slippers. “Do you wear these so you can find them in the woods?”
She sat next to them, slanting him a cross look. “Noooo. I wear them because they make me happy.” As you do. At that moment, she wished she had worn a pretty dress rather than her pai jamahs.
He knelt beside her and patted his knee, a request for her foot.
“I’m not so fragile, Guy. I can manage my own shoes.”
“I know. Now give me your foot.”
Reminiscent of his demand in the library, she knew he wouldn’t budge until she complied. “Stubborn man.” She extended her leg and couldn’t help but smile when he dusted dirt and debris from her bare soles like a father would a recalcitrant child.
“We make a good pair.”
Did they? She had always felt a connection to him. Something deeper than a mere friendship, something that had unfolded petal by fragile petal over the years.
A realization made all the more acute when her young girl’s admiration had transformed into a woman’s awakening. Her discernment of his masculine charms had gradually surfaced. She had noticedsmall things, like the magnificent length of his ebony eyelashes, the adorable dimple in his right cheek, and the fine hairs that peppered the backs of his hands.
She had felt awkward and guilty, especially once her focus shifted to admiring the breadth of his shoulders, the musculature of his thighs, and the beauty of his angular face. This was Guy, for goodness sake—practically her brother. Her thoughts had seemed immoral, wrong somehow, or at least that’s how she had felt at the time.
Her preoccupation with her friend grew to a degree that had kept her insides in a quivering knot any time he drew near, and her normally easy quips would lodge in her throat with just one of his teasing winks.
When she began imagining all her days spent in his company and her lifelong quest to avenge her parents’ murders began to fade, she started avoiding his company and eventually set off for France. She had hoped distance and the distraction of her mission would rid her of the unbearable longing he had stirred in her young heart.
She hoped in vain.
She stared down at his bent head. Sunlight sheened off his black hair, creating an illusion of moonlight dancing over dark waters. Long waves cradled his massive shoulders while he guided her foot into an awaiting red slipper. Without thought, she combed her fingers through his thick strands, taming their wild disarray, and wishing—no, longing—for the courage to bury her nose amidst all that luxury.
He stilled, as if fearing any movement would make her stop. He worried for naught. She loved feeling the silky texture of his midnight locks against her skin. Had dreamt of running her fingers through their length for days. Years.
He sat back on his heels and met her gaze, his internal struggle obvious. He, no doubt, wanted to give her some time to absorb the intimacy they had shared, but the demands of his body were at war with his strong mind. A situation she knew all too well.
In a near whisper, she said, “Turn around, if you please.”
His gaze sharpened, fired hot like a glowing cauldron. But he said nothing, simply maneuvered his body around until he faced the opposite direction, spine erect, senses alert.
She glanced down at the leather thong still wrapped around her middle finger. Its worn appearance was a testament to the many hours spent taming his gorgeous mane. She clamped the tie between her teeth while her hands smoothed over his hair.
“’Tis beautiful.”
He tilted his head back, his eyes closed.“Nonsense. Men don’t have beautiful hair.”
Leaning forward, she swept the tail she had created over her face, inhaling the faint scent of sandalwood mixed with the fresh country air. “You do.”
BOOK BLURB: Miranda expected to make her debut at Almack’s, but when her father’s death left her penniless, she chose to become an actress at her brother-in-law Edward’s theater instead. When Edward was arrested for debts he didn’t know he owed, Miranda and her sister Mary had to find a way to free him, or lose everything.
Lord Justin Devereux needed a fiancee–in a hurry! Trouble was, he didn’t want to get married. His solution: hire an actress who could act the part of his betrothed at a crucial family dinner party. Showing that he was ready to settle down would convince his relatives to give him
control of his inheritance. Then he could accomplish his dream of buying land in the country and living far away from the brittle, unsatisfying London social scene.
But when Justin hired Miranda, neither of them expected
to fall in love…
EXCERPT:
It was not until the second act that Miranda noticed him. She decided later that he must have arrived during the interval between acts one and two or at least during the first scene with the fairies while she was in the green room exulting over having gotten through the first act. At any rate, she just made it into the wings in time for her cue and was too flustered to take notice of new audience members.
She entered with Lysander-they were two lovers on the run, weary from their journey and looking for a place to sleep. George St. John was overplaying his role as he generally did and caught her in his arms as he addressed the gods in the gallery.
“‘One turf shall serve as pillow for us both’,” he shouted to them and was rewarded with hoots of delight. “‘One heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth!’”
“One beast, two backs!” some wag shouted and laughter erupted throughout the audience.
With more force than necessary, Hermia shoved her overeager Lysander away and spoke her lines.
“‘Nay, good Lysander. For my sake, my dear, lie further off yet, do not lie so near’.” Groans of disappointment greeted her speech but she ignored them. Flinging her arm out dramatically, she pointed to a spot at the corner of the stage where Lysander should make his bed. As Miranda gazed in the direction of her extended finger, she happened to look into the box closest to the edge of the stage.
A man was sitting-no, lounging-in the box, his arms crossed over his chest. His dark blue coat and cream colored waistcoat were well cut but not noticeably fashionable. He had dark hair and his features were finely drawn but still masculine, with dark bristling eyebrows over deep-set eyes and a square jaw that hinted at a determined nature. There was a stillness about him that spoke of quiet confidence and complete self-control.
As Miranda’s eyes fell on him, he looked up and their gazes met. His eyes widened-they were a clear blue color and his gaze was piercing. She had the impression that he was truly seeing her-as if he recognized her somehow although she was certain they had never met before. Her heart gave a little flutter. The moment stretched out into a breathless eternity as their eyes locked together in wordless communication. She felt as though she knew him too, her own feelings echoing that odd sense of recognition she saw in his eyes. Miranda stood transfixed.
Suddenly she heard a hissing voice behind her. “‘Lysander riddles very prettily!’” Mr. Gregory whispered. She blinked and saw George St. John staring at her expectantly. Goodness, that is my cue!
“‘Lysander riddles very prettily’,” Miranda repeated loudly. She hoped that her distraction had not been too noticeable. What was the matter with her to allow her wits to wander in such a fashion? She resolved not to look at any more faces since it seemed it was too easy to lose track of what one was doing.
Naturally the moment they were offstage George St. John began to tease her about her distracted moment.
“In love with a gentleman, little Miranda?” he said soulfully, grabbing her hand and pressing it to his bosom.
“Ah, and I thought you loved only me! What fickle creatures women are, to play with a man’s heart.”
She rescued her hand. “I am not in love with anyone and definitely not with you. I was merely distracted. It won’t happen again,” she informed him and moved away with dignity.
The rest of the performance proceeded without incident. Miranda did not allow herself to look into the box again although she wondered if that man was still there. Sometimes she fancied she could feel the weight of his stare upon her. Then Kitty swept onstage, resplendent as the fairy queen Titania, wearing the diamond-studded white dress and with her long dark locks curling in artful disarray over her shoulders. Miranda glanced self-consciously down at her own simple white dress. It was folly to imagine that a man would look at her when such a gorgeous creature flitted about the stage. Briskly she smoothed out her skirts and reminded herself not to become distracted. It was time to make her entrance in the final scene at the Duke’s palace.”
I am seriously so excited to write this review of Captain of My Heart by Danelle Harmon. Let me preface this by saying that I have gone through a little reading slump this year and find it very hard to “fall madly in love” with many books. I promise you, that I did not have that problem with this book. Actually it was quite the opposite. I fell hard and fast and probably now all of the other books I read this year will not compare at all!
With Captain of my Heart I found so many old feelings rushing back while I was reading! Those feelings of angst and being unable to put a book down in the middle of the chapter, or thinking about ALL day at work about getting back to the last place you left off. That warm, achy feeling you get during a really tender kiss or love scene that just makes you find the romantic in you and give them a big old hug. Does any of this sound familiar? Do I sound crazy?! I certainly hope so. That’s the only way to be about a book that brings so many emotions to the forefront and at the same time introduces you to a heart stopping h/h like Mira and Brendan. not to mention their quirky secondary cast of characters. I can’t remember how long it has been since I have been so in love with a group of characters!
Everything about Captain of My Heart just works! It’s a guiltless pleasure of a read with an absolutely fantastic plot full of action, romance, intrigue, the open seas, treachery- it all worked together to simply keep me entranced! The writing is great, the characters both believable and completely over the top and the romance….. the romance is one that grows from page to page until all of a sudden it’s this wonderful living, breathing entity taking my breath away.
I loved this entire cast of characters. I mean really, there isn’t just one that I love they are all up there on the list. But really no single character in any of the books that I have EVER read has made me have the kind of reactions that I had to Mira. She’s absolutely hysterical. She is crass, vulgar, brazen, she has no tact whatsoever, not a drop of refinement to her and yet I completely LOVED her. More than once I simply threw my head back and laughed at something that she said or did. She is not afraid of a single person and her lack of boundaries makes basically every decision she makes questionable and yet I was rooting for her the entire time. She’s magnificent and completely deserving of a man like Brendan Merrick. Never have I liked a female character more.
Brendan is for all intents and purposes a refined gentleman, loved by many, revered by his shipmates. He’s a golden boy with a heart that beats for the sea and his beautiful ships. There isn’t a woman alive who can take the place of his first love….not any normal woman anyways. Brendan finds himself entranced by Mira from the very first time he sees her and his entrancement grows right along with ours.
Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about this book. This is one of those warm and ooey-gooey stories that stays with a person for a long time. I could go on and on and on about all of the things I love about Captain of My Heart or you can just read it for yourselves and see what all this fuss is about! Go forth and buy it and read it immediately and be happy! You will definitely not be sorry!
STORY: Marcia gets schooled…
Of the three Brady sisters, Lady Marcia has always seemed the girl most likely to lead a perfectly charmed life. But after a handsome cad breaks her heart, she swears off love and devotes her life to teaching girls at a private school. In spite of her family’s wish for a London debut, Marcia is happy where she is—until terrible news sends her back to the Brady clan…and into the arms of an unexpected suitor.
On the subject of love.
A dark and dashing earl who knows Marcia’s past, Duncan Lattimore is surprised by what a fascinating and independent woman she’s become. Marcia, too, is surprised—by the fiery attraction she feels for Duncan. But why—why—must he be the brother of the scoundrel who broke her heart? Why must Marcia’s rival at school forbid her from seeing him? How can this lady possibly resist this fellow—when they know that it’s much more than a hunch…?
REVIEW: Kieran Kramer has decided to resurrect the Brady Brood [and if you haven’t ever seen this show from the 70’s that went into the 80’s, you need to watch it] in her new regency series, House of Brady.
Now, if all you fans of Brady Bunch are expecting this to be a retelling of the show, you’ll be disappointed. Ms. Kramer does have only couple of light touches that bring back the memories of the much-loved series, but the story is as fresh and original as all of her earlier books.
The story opens in 1814 with Lady Marcia at an impressionable age of 15 and even at that tender age, she believed in and knew that she wanted to find that perfect love. That belief becomes her reality as she meets the love of her life in Mr. Finn Lattimore, the younger brother of Lord Duncan, Earl of Chadwick, who is along with the Earl, accompanying her on her trip to Ireland. All three will undergo profound changes and Lady Marcia especially.
It’s 1819 and Duncan, Earl of Chadwick is a man who has gone through a profound change in the past four years. His life finds a purpose with the birth of his illegitimate son and things seem to be more settled with his household. Where in the past he was too somber and serious, now he’s much mellowed and relaxed, especially with his brother Finn far away in America. He doesn’t expect that the chance meeting with his ‘girl-on-the-prow’ would turn his orderly life into one journey that he never really thought would be possible for him.
To follow these two while they try to grapple with the past and try to come to terms with their own feelings for each other in the present, while still looking to fulfill their own dreams for the future was a thrill not to be missed.
‘Loving Lady Marcia’ is yet another delightful tale from an author that I’ve become so found of. I loved almost everything about this story. What I could have done without, is the use of the word ‘okay’ in the dialogue but that is my personal pet-peeve. It, however, never took away from my enjoying the story. The chemistry between the characters, and not just the hero and heroine, but also between the parents and the siblings; servants and friends alike, was wonderful. As for the dialogue, Ms. Kramer knows her craft and she gives us not just witty, but smart and sharp.
I would be remiss in not mentioning the steamy and sensual scenes which were accompanied with her prose that made me sigh and smile all through the book.
“Almost in a panic, he kissed her, if only to ignite that ember in her that should never dim. He held her tight and parted her lips with his own, a teasing, soft, lingering kiss. And like a blossom in the rain, she opened up to him.”
And then I read this…..I dare you not to sigh…
“For a few intense moments, he refused to let her gaze stray from his. Her eyes were large and soft and stormy, all at once. Framed by the green leaves, she was as pretty and beguiling as the naked Eve must have been in that long-ago garden.”
As I look forward to the next story in this series, I can’t help but wonder if there will be Prequel because there MUST be a Prequel! All of us want to know the story of the Marquess of Brady, the widower that ends up with the love of his life and adds daughters to his brood.
If you’re looking for a sweet, sensual and utterly charming tale, this is it. Find it, buy it and enjoy it!
I am a ‘newbie’ to this author and while I am ‘on the hunt’ for her back list, she’s impressing the shit out of me with her new Rumor Series. It’s easily one of the best series in romance I’ve read and every book I own is a keeper. But what impressed me about Delilah Marvelle beside her writing, is how utterly charming and sweet [not to mention sexy] she is in person. She even makes me look good! People, if you’ve never read her, please try to remedy that ASAP! Check out my reviews of the Rumor Series here. Oh, and if you want to contact her, you can find her on FB, Tweeter and at A BIT O’MUSLIN blog! Okay, okay!!! Here she is!!!!
b2bMelanie: Hello Delilah! Can you tell I am ‘over the moon’ by having you stop by?!!! Tell us, are you enjoying your summer so far?
Delilah Marvelle: LOL!!! I most certainly am. I usually take the summers off, so I *really* enjoy my summers
b2b: How exited are you with the latest Rumor book ‘Forever a Lady’ that just came out?
DM: VERY. Especially in light of the premier showing of the BBC show COPPER. I’m hoping people will see the magic of New York City of the Five Points. I love the history behind it.
b2b: OMG! My DH is NUTS about the show! He was the one that told me about it, so now we have a TV show we can watch together. I wonder if I could talk him into reading your Rumor series ;D
It’s no news to my readers how much I enjoy reading the ‘behind the story’ notes of any book, so tell me more about your research and ‘behind the story’ of ‘FaL’…
DM: Few people know that I grew up in Chicago within a lower class, gang infested neighborhood where walking down the street in the wrong colors or a certain headband could get a girl raped or killed. I got beat up a couple of times for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I got sick of being bullied and eventually banded together a group of friends (both guys and girls) who were my age. One of them, Greg, turned out to be my best friend. He looked out for me and I looked out for him and it not only made us closer but made us realize something: we could rise above anything if we were surrounded by the right people. I eventually left that neighborhood at 13, leaving my best friend behind, and moved into a better community. Greg and I lost touch and to this day, I often wonder what happened to him. But those years spent on the street bonding with him and others who struggled to rise above the intimidation and gang violence affected my life. Forever.
Although the story of FOREVER A LADY is a nod to my favorite New York movies like Annie and Newsies and Cinderella Man, at the heart of the story, it darts into the corners of my own life and my youth. It was all too easy for me to imagine and research what life would have been like back in 1820s and 30s New York in the slums, when a man loses everything and is forced to survive against thugs. I remembered the anger, the disbelief, and the desperation of others to want to become more but unable to. I was lucky to have gotten out when I did. The hero of my story, Matthew, is an homage to my childhood. I wanted to give my best friend of old, Greg, a story. I imagined what his life turned into and wanted him to be happy. Giving him a lady who could make all of his dreams come true was part of the equation. He deserved a happily ever after and it is my hope, that with FOREVER A LADY, I did him justice. Because it doesn’t matter how you grow up, all that matters is how you come out of it and the person you become as a result of it.
Now as far as research goes, I went to New York several times to not only see the areas I was writing about (which only one building exists from my era and it wasn’t worth seeing, lol), but to access the New York City library in person that has newspapers and maps from the 1830’s that helped me flesh out the stories I was looking to write. I wanted everything in the story to be not only historically accurate but authentic. Research for FOREVER A LADY took me about 2 months.
b2b: WOW! I think you should write your memoirs! Tou know, the first ‘picture’ I had in my head when I started reading your book, was Leonardo DiCaprio and the movie ‘Gangs of New York’ which I caught again last week.
Just in case someone out there hasn’t read any of your books, [like I said, I am one of the brand, spanking new fans], would you tell us a bit about them and what’s coming up for you in the future? Will you be releasing more of your backlist or will you concentrate on the future books?
DM: I basically write really steamy and sometimes brow raising historical romances that infuses history with the idea that people in the past were no different from us. They were just surviving with a different set of societal rules. I love infusing real history, humor, adventure and anything I can cram into a book that no reader will be able to predict.
My next book coming out is FOREVER A LORD (Dec. 20th). It’s the last of the Rumor Series and features a hero who is a bare knuckle boxer who was kidnapped as a child and learns to cope with who he really is while trying to mold himself back into the world he was taken from. I have an e-release only coming out with Entangled this Nov. 1st, as well. It’s an anthology that Maire Claremont and I are doing together called ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A DUKE.
After that, I am returning to a former series of mine, The School of Gallantry, in March 2013. It’s a school led by an elderly courtesan who educates men on the topic of love and seduction. It’s cheeky, less serious and I’m just having a lot of fun knowing I’m returning to my original series. There are three more books left to write in that series.
Which one of your books was the hardest and which the easiest to write and which touched you the most?
DM: The easiest book to write was my first book, MISTRESS OF PLEASURE. It was all tongue and cheek and just flew right out of me. I had so much fun giving into bawdy humor and just letting whatever needed be said be said, lol. The hardest? I would say my upcoming release FOREVER A LORD. Whenever it comes to finishing any series, you have to ensure that you’re not only tying up all loose ends, but making the end of the series end with a bang. I’m always trying to outdo myself and needless to say, it was hard to do, but I somehow pulled it off, lol.
b2b: Which is harder to write, sensual or humor filled scenes?
DM: Surprisingly, both come easy to me. What is harder for me to write about is ensuring that the history I weave in isn’t overwhelming the reader. I love history a bit too much, and so I try to ensure whatever history I’m weaving in doesn’t burden the reader or the story too much. And that, I will admit is HARD, lol.
b2b: Do you let someone read your work during your writing process and who is that lucky person and why he/she? Or do you wait ‘till it’s finished, then you let someone read it…and who?
DM: I have two lucky people, lol. Jessa Slade (author of Seduced by Shadows) and Maire Claremont (author of The Dark Lady). Both are incredible authors who understand story but also my voice. They always ground me and what I am doing while guiding me. I can’t imagine *not* sending anything their way, because they always give me ideas and how to better mold my manuscript. It’s a mutual thing we do for each other. I give them feedback for their stories and they give me feedback for mine. It’s a beautiful thing, lol. My agent, Donald Maass, also reads my stuff and gives me incredible feedback. With the team I have behind me, I feel confident when that manuscript lands on the editor’s desk.
b2b: I think Cover Art is very important to a book, almost as much as what’s inside. Tell me about the cover art of your books. They really are gorgeous. Who came up with hem? What about the older ones?
DM: The covers are gorgeous. I was fortunate enough to have landed incredible covers every time. Harlequin has an amazing art department. That said, I don’t get any say on the covers. Whatever I see is what I get. Which is why I’m thankful they’ve been amazing. The same with my older ones. I had no say.
b2b: Let’s talk titles…How hard is it to ‘name’ your ‘baby’?
DM: As with my covers, I really don’t have too much say on the titles. If they like a title, they go with it. If they don’t, they find another title, lol. In some way, I’m thankful, because I don’t think I’m really all that good at coming up with titles. So naming my baby isn’t all that hard. I have someone else do it for me
b2b: We all have favorite books, authors… How about you? Are you willing to fess-up?
DM: My favorite authors are the ones I work closely with. There’s a reason why I work closely with them. Because I’m crazy about their writing. Jessa Slade is my favorite paranormal author and Maire Claremont is my favorite historical romance author. Now mind you, Maire’s first book won’t come out until Feb. 2013 with NAL, but I’ve been reading her for years, well before anyone knew who she was, lol. So I feel blessed. I will also say that my favorite books are by all the dead people. Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, to name a few. My love for history comes from writers who were actually breathing the history I now write about.
b2b: Some authors write at certain times of day or week and even a place. What’s your typical writing schedule and what gets your creative juices flowing? If you have any tips to help other aspiring new authors out there, feel free to share!
DM: I don’t write during the summers. Or at least, I try not to, as I enjoy spending the summers just hanging out with my kids. During the school year, my typical writing schedule is to get the kids out the door and start writing at 7:15 a.m. I can’t write when there are people in the house. It may sound strange, but I feel like their energy is bleeding into my ability to focus. When writing about history, one has to immerse themselves in a different world and I find it’s hard to do that when you’re surrounded by people who remind you your world is fake, fake, fake, lol. So I basically write from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. I break for lunch, but it’s usually less than 10 minutes and I go back to work. When I’m on deadline, I’ll write as much as 12 hours in a day. But I usually try to keep it to the 7:15 a.m.-4 p.m. schedule. It allows me to unwind and do stuff with my family in between the madness of writing.
b2b: The Rumor series is so well written, that it made me go out and track some of your back list to keep me going ‘till ‘FOREVER A LORD’ hits the shelves (or my Kindle)! What inspired it?
DM: A number of things. My own childhood, an old article about a missing boy who re-surfaced 30 years later, and my own love for historical New York City.
b2b: What do you like to read and what’s on your TBR right now?
b2b: Now, that ends up our ‘professional’ portion of this interview. Are you ready to get personal? Or are you going to chicken out on me?
DM: Bring it, lol.
b2b: So, tell us a bit about yourself, something personal that you haven’t shared with anyone before…you know…anything that makes you comfortable…or not…like how many times did you fall in love? Flannel or Silk? Cats or Dogs? Champagne or Beer? Rock or Classical? Movies or TV?
DM: Bring it, lol. Okay, here’s a list of dirty laundry. I don’t drink very much, if at all. If I do, it has to be a sweet drink, because the idea of drinking anything bitter or sour grosses me out. I was a Romeo in my younger years. Meaning I was in love with the idea of being in love. I fell in love a total of two times, though, out of all my dates. The first time was my high school sweetheart and the second time was true love, with my college sweetheart and 20 years later husband
I have no cats or dogs. I have two children and a husband, lol. I see them all as being my cats and dogs, I clean up after and cuddle with.
Flannel all the way. Silk makes me feel like I’m personally starving children in Africa. I don’t like spending a lot of money on bed sheets or clothing for that matter. I’m more of a bargain hunter.
Music wise, alternative all the way. I love listening to music that isn’t mainstream and comes from Europe. It makes me feel like I’m branching out creatively, too, as I use music for my writing.
Movies all the way. I’m a huge Netflix nut and movie theatre goer. Whatever I can see and get my hands on, I do.
b2b: Delilah, this was such fun! Thanks for stopping by to play
DM: Thanks for having me, darling!!! I have a copy of FOREVER AND A DAY and FOREVER A LADY so let’s give two people a chance to win them by answering this question: What’s your favorite New York based movie? Oh, and don’t forget to stop by my blog and enter my awesome giveaway: ONE DAY with me IN YOUR TOWN!!!
I am a brand new fan of this author and I am on the hunt! For the past week I’ve been tracking Danelle Harmon’s back llist because I fell in love with her story telling.
Recently I read five of her brand new back list releases as my review assignment for RCJR eZine and my blog. To Christine Morehouse I say, THANK YOU for introducing me to such a great author and her awesome series. Please help me welcome an author that I hope will become, if she already isn’t, your favorite as well.
b2bMelanie: Hello Danelle! Are you enjoying your summer so far?
Danelle Harmon: I’m having a great summer, Melanie! I hope you and your loved ones are, as well!
b2b: Actually, it has been a mixed bag, but the weather is getting to a point of tolerance now that we’re out of the 100 degree’s!
DH: I’m thrilled, especially as it has a beautiful new cover and one that I actually love! I really fell in love with the hero of this story, and I hope readers will enjoy his journey as much as I did.
b2b: I definitely did! Loved the story!
It’s no news to my readers how much I enjoy reading the ‘behind the story’ notes of any book, so tell me more about your research and ‘behind the story’ of ‘WaH’.
DH: I wrote Wicked At Heart while I was still living in England, so I took a lot of inspiration from my setting. Oxford was only six miles away, and of course, the English countryside, which figured in a good part of Wicked At Heart (I set part of the book in the Cotswolds, one of my favorite areas of England). It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many resources, and such beauty and history!
b2b: Cotswolds is now officially added to my Bucket List.
Just if someone out there hasn’t read any of your books, would you tell us a bit about them and what’s coming up for you in the future? Will you be releasing more of your backlist or will you concentrate on the future books?
DH: My career as an “Avon Lady” included ten books published by them; to date, five of them have been released as e-books, and I’m currently working on the sixth, Captain Of My Heart, which will, I hope, be available sometime in late August or early September. I plan to revise and update all of my backlist, and when they are all available, with their beautiful new covers, I’ll finish the story that so many people have asked me for: that of Perry, Lord Brookhampton and the youngest de Montforte sibling, Lady Nerissa.
b2b: Let me tell you! I am really looking forward to all of them, especially Nerissa’s story. I truly thought that she needed her own book.
Which one of your books was the hardest and which the easiest to write and which couple did you like the best?
DH: Without question, the hardest was The Beloved One. Actors have to “inhabit” a role when they play it, and I believe that is true for authors, too. I get very wrapped up in my characters when I’m writing about them, and Lord Charles’s (the hero of The Beloved One) heartbreaking plight took a lot out of me, emotionally. Because of that, it got to the point that I was having trouble making myself sit down and spend time with him, so one winter weekend, I packed up my laptop and checked in to a local beach hotel and there, wrote a good part of the book. I’ve never had to do that with any of my other books, and maybe that’s one reason that Lord Charles is my favorite of all the dashing, aristocratic de Montforte men… we really wrestled that story, the two of us, and I felt his pain right along with him. As for couples, I don’t think I could pick any one set of characters … there are things I like and admire about all of them, I think.
b2b: You know, after five books that I’ve read, I think that ‘The Beloved One’ is my favorite!
Do you have a hard time writing the intimate scenes?
DH: Yes; but to be honest, I can’t think of a romance writer who doesn’t!
b2b: LOL! Do you let someone read your work during your writing process? Who and why? Or do you wait ‘till it’s finished, then you let someone read it…and who?
DH: Nobody reads my work during the writing process, and I don’t belong to a critique group… in fact, I’ve never belonged to one. Occasionally I’ll bounce ideas off my husband or a friend, but for the most part, I fly solo.
b2b: Now that’s interesting! Tell me about the cover art of your books. I can see that you have new Kindle covers for your backlist and I just love them. Who came up with it? What about the older ones?
DH: Awww, thank you! I just love my new covers! Unlike with the older (paperback) versions, where I had zero control over the covers (and cried many a tear when I’d get my first look at them … the old covers for Wicked At Heart and The Beloved One were ghastly and looked NOTHING like my characters!) I had very specific ideas about what I wanted on the cover of each e-book. Much to my delight and excitement, designer Kim Killion of Hot Damn Designs was able to bring those ideas to fruition… I love her work, and can’t thank her enough for these beautiful new covers!
b2b: She did an outstanding job in creating these covers. They are amazing!
Let’s talk titles…How hard is it to ‘name’ your ‘baby’?
DH: My very first book was originally called “Forever A Free Prince” (my working title), but Avon, with an eye toward marketing, changed it to Pirate In My Arms. The titles of the nine books that followed were all mine; I don’t seem to have any trouble naming books.
b2b: You are lucky, then. Some authors agonize over it.
We all have favorite books, authors… How about you? Are you willing to fess-up?
DH: I read very, very little when it comes to romance, so I really don’t have any favorites within the genre. I do like historical fiction, though, and occasionally will pick up something by Dean Koontz or Tess Gerritsen. I loved the Joshua books by Joseph Girzone.
b2b: You know, I hear that a lot and it makes a lot of sense.
Some authors write at certain times of day or week. What’s your typical writing schedule and what gets your creative juices flowing? If you have any tips to help other aspiring new authors out there, feel free to share!
DH: I wish I had a “schedule,” but, I’m also a mom, and as anyone with children knows, when it comes to kids, the old adage “the best laid plans…” certainly holds true. Our daughter is home from summer camp now, so my writing time is very late at night. I cannot work with interruptions, and in a house with my family and four dogs up and about, my best … perhaps my only … work gets done after they all go to bed.
b2b: LOL! So I see that it doesn’t differ from most mom’s out there. They all do the bulk of their chores after the household ‘settles down’.
I honestly enjoyed every aspect of this book. What inspired it and who did you envision as Damon?
DH: Damon is a very wounded hero, and in adulthood, he’s paying the price for having an abusive mother who never showed him any love. As a result, he’s prone to panic attacks, anxiety, and has an impossible time seeing the beauty in the world about him. He’s angry, without knowing why, but he yearns for so much more. I know people like Damon, loved ones who suffer panic attacks and anxiety disorders, and I must confess that my empathy toward them inspired me to write Damon’s character. I wrote the paperback version of Wicked At Heart in the mid-1990s, and the young, intense, gorgeous and still relatively unknown Ralph Fiennes was the person I envisioned as Damon.
b2b: I am not surprised. He would definitely do justice to the role of Damon with his intensity and voice.
What do you like to read and what’s on your TBR right now?
DH: I’m currently reading With Fire And Sword: The Battle of Bunker Hill and the Beginning of the American Revolution by James Nelson, who’s actually quite well-known for his great fiction. It’s a great read, and I’m enjoying his portrayal of Dr. Joseph Warren, the young, handsome, and sadly forgotten patriot without whom, I think, we probably wouldn’t have had a revolution. Dr. Warren is one of my very favorite historical personages, right up there with British Admiral Lord Nelson.
b2b: Cool. I’ll make sure to look it up.
Now, that ends up our ‘professional’ portion of this interview.
…Let’s get Personal:
So, tell us a bit about yourself, something personal that you’d like us to know…anything that makes you comfortable…or not…like how many times did you fall in love? Flannel or Silk? Cats or Dogs? Champagne or Beer? Rock or Classical? Movies or TV?
DH: I can’t remember how many times I’ve fallen in love, but I’ve been happily married to my husband Chris since we tied the knot back in Abingdon, England, in 1995! As for your other questions: Flannel (it gets cold here during a Massachusetts winter!) … Dogs (I have four German Shorthaired Pointers ranging in age from one to fifteen years), though I do love kitties, too (my allergies don’t!), and Sam Adams Cherry Wheat beer, please! My iTunes library is pretty eclectic, but I’m a big fan of the British band Oasis (which was HUGE when we were living in England); I also love Madonna, Lady Gaga, the Bee Gees’ older stuff (before the disco era), and anything with great energy to it. I don’t watch TV (every time I get hooked on a show it gets canceled, so I don’t bother anymore!). I’m a huge and devoted fan of Jesus Christ Superstar — the movie, the soundtrack, the live production — and have seen it on stage more times than I can count. I even have a photo of myself with Ted Neeley, who’s holding a copy of The Wild One!
b2b: Danelle, you’re one fun lady! You’ve been very gracious to stop by and play, and I thank you so much. I am sure that our readers will be thrilled to learn that you’ve offered FIVE lucky winners (one book per winner/title of their choice) ALL FIVE of your books as a giveaway, and all they have to tell us is this: how much of sensuality do you like to read about? No sexual contact whatsoever, sexual contact all over, or are you somewhere in between?
You can reach Danelle on Facebook, Tweeter and her website. To buy her novels right now, just click on the cover.
BOOK BLURB: Ex-naval captain Colin Lord has had his fill of hot-headed adventure. Now, he wants nothing more than to put his tragic past behind him and pursue his career as a London veterinarian.
AUTHOR BIO: Bestselling, multi-award winning and critically acclaimed author Danelle Harmon has written ten books, previously published in print and distributed in many languages throughout the world. Though born and raised in Massachusetts, she and her husband, a native of southwest London, were married and lived in England for several years.
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