Today, I welcome Linda back to the Maze with the book of her heart, award-winning Historical Romance Rogue's Hostage!
His hostage...
In 1758 the Pennsylvania
frontier is wild, primitive and dangerous, where safety often lies at the end
of a gun. Mara Dupré's life crumbles when a French and Indian war party attacks
her cabin, kills her husband, and takes her captive. Marching through the
wilderness strengthens her resolve to flee, but she doesn't count on her captor
teaching her the meaning of courage and the tempting call of desire.
Her destiny...
French lieutenant Jacques Corbeau's desire for his captive
threatens what little honor he has left.
But when Mara desperately offers herself to him in exchange for her
freedom, he finds the strength to refuse and reclaims his lost self-respect. As
the shadows of his past catch up to him, Jacques realizes that Mara, despite
the odds, is the one true key to reclaiming his soul and banishing his past
misdeeds forever.
Excerpt:
Holding the towel to his shoulder, he walked over and stood
by the bed to check on the woman, who was still in a faint. Despite her pallor,
he noted that her skin was fine, her nose straight and thin. She had a lower
lip just full enough to entice a man to taste it, and a stubborn chin that
dared him to try. Under different circumstances…
She was perhaps not as lovely as he’d thought when he first
saw her standing in the clearing—her hair, the color of corn silk, shining in
the sunlight. Still, she was tall and fair, with slender curves and shapely
ankles visible beneath the short skirts of a farm wife.
And now she was a widow. He stared down at the woman and
silently vowed to see that no more innocents died today.
The woman gave a soft moan and opened her eyes. When she
spotted him, she shrank back against the wall, arms folded defensively across
her breast. His gut tightened. He didn’t enjoy terrifying women, but fear
should make her easier to control. She had already proven unpredictable.
Terror, stark and vivid, glittered in her eyes. "Who are
you?"
"My name is Jacques Corbeau, lieutenant in the army of France.
And you are my captive."
* * *
Mara inhaled sharply, panic building inside her. This
couldn’t be real. It was all a bad dream. She would wake up soon and tell Emile
about it, and they would laugh. And laugh and laugh and…. She swallowed the
hysteria engulfing her.
"Madame, are you listening to me?"
The Frenchman’s voice, sharp and insistent, demanded her
attention. "There is not much time. My companions are not patient men. We
must leave soon, but first I want you to bind my shoulder. Where do you keep
bandages?"
Her mouth and throat were dry when she swallowed, but she
choked out an answer. "The trunk. Under the bed."
He squatted beside the bed, pulled out the trunk and
rummaged through it. She watched his every move, unable to take her eyes off
him, alarmed by the physical threat he represented.
He was a tall man who dominated the cabin as Emile never
had, and his state of undress revealed nearly every inch of his lean and
powerful form. Not only was he bare to the waist, but his breechclout and
leggings failed to completely cover his thighs and buttocks. He had a
wide-shouldered, rangy body and long, sinewy legs. He looked strong, virile,
and infinitely dangerous.
A cold knot formed in Mara’s stomach. The French had killed
her father and now her husband. What would they do to her?
She wrapped her arms around her waist. Her grandfather would
say whatever happened was God’s will, but she rejected that idea. What kind of
God allowed such awful things to happen?
Fearfully, she watched as the Frenchman shoved the trunk
back under the bed and stood. He held out the bandages, and she froze. She
couldn’t touch him, she just couldn’t.
The man’s heavy black brows drew together in a fierce frown,
but his voice was without emotion. "Madame, I am all that stands between
you and the men who killed your husband. I can be persuaded to act as your
protector. It is to your advantage to do what I command."
4 ½ stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times!
Romantic Times Nominee—Best Small Press Romance of 2003!
2nd Place - Lorie Awards - Best Historical Romance!
Buy Rogue's Hostage here:
Linda says this about Rogue's Hostage:
"Rogue’s Hostage is my favorite. It’s the most personal, in a couple of ways. The first half is set in the area of Pittsburgh, PA., my home town. It’s also the book I was writing when my mother died, and when I finished, I realized that the heroine, Mara, is much like my mother. I just wish she had lived long enough to read the book."
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of books and history, so it's only natural she prefers writing historical romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward. Linda also writes steamy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont, and is one half of the writing team of Lyn O'Farrell.
You can find her online at http://lindalyndi.com
Twitter: @LyndiLamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
As always on my blog, you are invited to...
— Follow me on Twitter
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— Comment on this post, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an ebook copy of my latest release, Snow in July!
— Follow me on Twitter
— Add me to Google+
— Subscribe to my YouTube channel
— Comment on this post, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an ebook copy of my latest release, Snow in July!
Kim, thanks so much for hosting me on your blog.
ReplyDeleteAny time, Linda; you are most welcome! :)
ReplyDelete