by Vikki Vaught
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GENRE: Historical Romantic
Suspense
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BLURB:
When her
son’s life is threatened, Anissa, Marchioness of Overton, seeks refuge by
sailing to America. Before the ship reaches the high seas, sparks fly between
her and Captain Alex Hawks. Although the young widow may be lonely, and afraid,
she cannot risk the diversion a romantic entanglement could bring, no matter
how much she wants to lose herself in the captain’s embrace.
The Captain vows to protect the
young Lord Overton, but can offer no assurance that the marchioness will leave
his ship with her virtue intact. Alex is drawn to Anissa’s beauty and courage,
as a hummingbird is to the nectar of a flower. How long can he fight a losing
battle before he surrenders and makes her his own?
Will Alex be able to keep this
remarkable woman and her child safe? Will his passion for Anissa be enough or
will their differences keep them apart?
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Exclusive Excerpt:
Anissa
clasped her trembling hands together as she stammered, “I w-wanted to watch as
we l-left the pier, since it will be my last sight of England for a very long
time.”
Captain
Hawks stared at her, black eyes gleaming. “Who’s that man? I thought you told
me you weren’t running away. What are you running away from? Tell me, damn it!”
Anissa
turned back to the railing to give herself time to collect her thoughts. She
came up with a believable story, she hoped. Even though she hated lying, now
was not the time for scruples. To save her son, she would lie, cheat, or even
kill, if need be. She did not owe this arrogant captain anything. He was only a
means to an end for her.
Pulling
on her confidence as a marchioness, she turned to face him with an expression
of disdain on her face. “Not that it is any of your concern, I’m not running
away from anything. As I already explained, my uncle is ill. I desperately need
to get away for a while. I lost my husband seven months ago. I’m hoping a visit
with my uncle and seeing my cousins will help to distract me from my grief. And
I can help my family care for him in his time of need.”
“If
you’re not running away, then why did that man look disgusted when he saw my
ship leaving?” he sneered.
Her
mind went blank. She needed to come up with something he might believe. “Oh,
you mean the man on the pier?”
The
captain interrupted. “Of course I mean that man. It’s obvious someone told him
you left with me. He followed you to Plymouth, didn’t he?”
Anissa
looked at him, her knees shaking to such a degree that he would have surely
seen them, had her breeches not been covered by her long cloak. She prayed he
would not decide to turn the ship around.
“He
is an unwanted suitor and has been hounding me ever since my husband died. He
is one of the reasons I decided to go to America.” Then taking the offensive,
she stated, “Besides, it is none of your business why I want to leave, now, is
it?”
“It
is my damned business if you’re running from something. I don’t need anything
turning up later. You know he’ll find out where you’re going, don’t you? My
ship is well known, and someone will tell him you’re bound for Baltimore. You
don’t have any family in America, do you? You don’t know anyone in my country.
How in hell will you take care of yourself, and your son, for God’s sake?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Vikki Vaught started her
writing career when a story invaded her mind and would not leave.
Over the last few years, she
has written more than a half dozen historical romances and is presently working
on her next. Her new release, Lady Overton’s Perilous Journey, is the first
book in her Honorable Rogue series.
Vikki loves a "Happily
Ever After", and she writes them in her stories. While romance is the
central theme of all her books, she includes some significant historical event
or place in all her novels.
While all her books are love
stories, she has also written short contemporary sweet romances as Vikki
McCombie and erotic romances using the pen name of V.L. Edwards.
For the last decade, Vikki
has lived in the beautiful foothills of the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee with
her beloved husband, Jim, who is the most tolerant man in the world to put up
with her when she is in a writing frenzy. When she is not writing or working
her day job, you’ll find her curled up in a comfortable chair reading her
Kindle, lost in a good book with a cup of tea at her side.
LINKS:
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