A Gift Freely Given

A Gift Freely Given

by J. Ellen Ross

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Leisha’s father, the king of Tahaerin, bartered away her childhood with his failed invasion of a neighboring kingdom. She grew up a hostage, a guarantee of the king’s good behavior. At sixteen, she returns to a land and a throne she knows almost nothing about.

Her powerful and ruthless uncle plans to force her into a marriage or take her crown by violence. The nobles of her kingdom all expect her to fail spectacularly and are eager to fight over the scraps. But, Leisha has no intention of going along quietly with any of their plans.

As a boy, Zaraki watched as slavers butchered his family. Orphaned and starving, he was taken from the streets, trained to spy and kill. He finds a position with the new queen when he is forced to flee the only home he remembers. But the job is far larger than he anticipated and Leisha’s life is threatened from all sides.

Leisha will fight to hold her crown and her throne with the help of an unknown and unproven spy. Zaraki will try keep her alive and to keep the oaths he took - to be loyal to her, to keep her secrets and never, ever fall in love with her.

EXCERPT: 

Aniol did not disappoint. Leisha stiffened as his hand dropped to the knife at his belt. Even as an unconscious action, it told her all she needed to know. Zaraki was right. Staval had a plan for her and this was one of the men charged with seeing it through. With her uncle giving orders here, Aniol felt invincible.

Before his hand could stray further, he landed face down on the floor. Zaraki put a knee in the man’s back and yanked Aniol’s head to one side. When he pressed a light blade against Aniol’s throat, the smaller man stopped struggling and whimpered softly.

“Her Majesty was very clear, I thought. I hope this is equally as clear,” Zaraki said in a low voice, into the other man’s ear.

“He’s planning on going straight to Cyril,” Leisha hissed, seeing the intention flash through Aniol’s mind. At the first hint that she was trying to seize control of the castle, Cyril would spring the trap and turn the guards against her. She would die and likely, Symon and Zaraki along with her. Suddenly, the threat was all too real.

Zaraki made a face, still holding Aniol’s head back. Fool. He could have walked out alive. “If you’ll excuse me a moment, Your Highness?” While he did not enjoy killing he would do it. However, murdering the man in front of a sixteen year old girl was out of the question.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

J. Ellen Ross lives in Texas with her husband and their four rescue dogs. She works in high tech, which has nothing to do with fantasy, romance or writing.

When she’s not busy chasing dogs around or rushing someone to the vet, she loves to read and play video games.  She has a hobby of having hobbies, so she’s also been known to do sculpting, beadwork, and painting.

Website: www.jellenross.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jellenross

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-gift-freely-given-j-ellen-ross/1120799356

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Freely-Given-Tahaerin-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00OYWP8LQ

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/494065

 J. Ellen Ross will be awarding $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Use the link below to enter.  You can find her tour schedule at
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/blurb-blitz-gift-freely-given-by-j.html 

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A Spy Unmasked

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter to win $15 Amazon giftcard and ebook of A SPY UNMASKED. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The mission did not go quite as Robert Ware--known in society as the new Earl of Kirkland--planned. A spy in the service of His Majesty, Robert is a "guest" at a masquerade party as he retrieves vital information for a murder investigation. Until he's quite unexpectedly interrupted by an exquisite, masked woman with glittering green eyes. And a pistol she has cocked and aimed right at him...

Lady Sophia Merrill has defiantly taken up justice's shining sword, determined to expose the brigand who murdered her eccentric but brilliant father, and stole his latest invention. Now she must masquerade as Robert's betrothed in order to infiltrate the Inventor's Society and find the killer. But the undeniable potent attraction between them not only imperils the investigation, but Sophia's reputation... and both of their lives.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Frustration roiled inside Sophia. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t like the idea of working together any more than you do.”

“I highly doubt it,” Robert said.

“It’s true,” she insisted.

“You appear quite eager to go along with Wendover’s plans.”

“I’m eager only to seek justice for my father’s murder.”

He hesitated, and his gaze roved and lazily appraised her. “You do realize we’ll attend the house party next week as an engaged couple.”

She felt her face grow warm, and she looked up at him with an effort. “In name only.”

“It makes no difference. We’ll have to socialize. Act as a loving couple. Sit beside each other during the evening meal and stare longingly into each other’s eyes. It’s not too late to change your mind.”

“I won’t.”

He flashed a smile, his teeth white against the bronzed perfection of his face. “Perhaps we should practice to be certain we can pull it off.”

He took a step closer and cupped her face with his hand. His palm was calloused, not as smooth as she would have expected of a lord’s hands. But then again, he wasn’t solely an earl.

He leaned close until she could see the specks of blue in his brilliant eyes. A strange fluttering began in the pit of her stomach as he lowered his head inch by inch until his breath fanned her lips.

About the Author:

Award-winning author Tina Gabrielle is an attorney and former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. She often picked up a romance and let her fantasies of knights in shining armor and lords and ladies carry her away. After multi-publishing for a prestigious law journal, she fulfilled her dream of writing fiction. A Spy Unmasked is the first book In The Crown’s Secret Service series. The second book in the series, At The Spy’s Pleasure, is coming in April 2015 from Entangled Publishing. She is also the author of adventurous Regency historical romances, In The Barrister’s Bed, In The Barrister’s Chambers, Lady Of Scandal, and A Perfect Scandal from Kensington Books.

Publisher’s Weekly calls her Regency Barrister’s series, “Well-matched lovers…witty comradely repartee.” Tina’s books have been Barnes & Noble top picks, and her first book, Lady Of Scandal, was nominated as best first historical by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

Website: www.tinagabrielle.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinagabrielle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaGabrielle
Blog: http://thevioletfemmes.wordpress.com/

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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