Three Days of One Knight Stands - Sunday edition

Deborah Macgillivray - A Marriage Made In Hell

  Essence of the game is deception...

When her half-sister refuses to marry the powerful earl of Hellborne, Greyson de Verre, Lesslyn de Sancerre sees the chance to have a life, a home and a husband of her own, so she agrees to take her sister's place.  Her sister, in turn, is off to elope with the man she has fallen in love with.  Everything appears fated in this pact the two women seal.  What seemed like a logical solution at the time soon becomes a battle to keep ahead of the lies.  Lesslyn quickly learns plots and schemes are easily concocted, but realities arising from the falsehoods are a different matter altogether.  Especially, when she is quickly falling in love with Greyson de Verre...her husband to be. 

Commanded to wed by royal decree...

When Edward Plantagenet demands you must marry, you have little options...or do you?  King Edward has commanded that the earl of Hellborne must marry the heiress of Sancerre.  After all a bargain is a bargain—even if the earl views the coming marriage with disdain.  Only, the enigmatic lord of Hellborne needs must wed on Yuletide. . .so wed he shall...no matter what.   

Even if it is a Marriage Made in Hell. . .

Lindsay Townsend - Sir Constantine and the Changeling

                                                                          

He had hurt and betrayed her in the worst way possible. Could Kari and Constantine save their marriage? In a medieval world that believed in God, saints, spirits and the fey, there were also darker forces to be feared. Malicious fairies could steal human babies away or substitue their own children—changelings. Kari and Constantine have been apart for two years, he on crusade in the Holy Land, she left behind in his lands to raise their unborn child alone. When her husband returns with his Templar brother Hadrian in tow, the separation she and Constantine have endured, plus Hadrian’s evil influence, leads to terrible accusations between them. Her husband thinks now that her beloved baby son Valentine might be a changeling. In the face of such a charge, and remembering an older tragedy, Kari feels she has no choice but to flee Constantine’s homeland and retreat to her own country of the high waterlands.   Constantine follows her. Realising what he has done, he begs his wife to return with him, but can Kari trust him again? And will he ever accept Valentine as his true son? At the time of Yule, many things are possible, and as Kari and Constantine strive to rebuild their relationship, the snows, an old hut and the Yule Goat will all play vital parts.

 

Cynthia Breeding – Twelfth Knight

Isobel De Lacy’s guardian, Baron Roger De Lacy, is set to join King Richard in Outremer directly after the winter Solstice.  Before he leaves he wants to make sure his niece is married. His groom of choice is Sir Guy of Gisborne, henchman to the Sheriff of Nottingham, and notorious for being heavy-fisted.

            Isobel would rather sacrifice herself to the Great Horned God before that happened.

            While gathering holly in the woods, she stumbles across an injured knight and takes him back to the castle to be looked after.  He turns out to be Sir William of Barnsdale, nephew to the Earl of Huntingdon. Isobel hatches a plan. The powerful earl can keep her safe from Gisborne and, when Sir William chivalrously agrees to help her escape, she decides perhaps the auld gods have sent her a Yuletide gift.

            But as they ride through Sherwood Forest, she finds that “gift” to be much more than she had anticipated.

Angela Raines - Gunvar’s Gift

The clashing of cultures, the memory of childhood, each pulled at Gerold and Annika as fate and a bit of magic conspired to bring them together. 

Gerold and his friends are among a group fighting the Northmen who have invaded their country, and for Gerold it is even more personal. 

Annika, a Shield Maiden in the army of Northmen is out for revenge with those who killed her beloved father, Gunvar.  Could love and understanding bring about miracles at such a special time of year? 

 

Keena Kincaid - Five Yules

The New One: Waleran de Marche promised not to marry her, but it was a vow he couldn’t keep. Cateline de Armiens possesses the land and coin he needs to distance himself from his father and the coming war in England.
Cate is tired of broken promises and betrayal. When Wal vows to keep her safe and secure, she ignores his promise and welcomes his departure on royal errands. In his absence, she creates a home without him, and finds his return each Yule an annoyance, not a joyful homecoming.

But when the king’s enemy takes her hostage, she will learn just how far her husband will go to keep his word to protect her—but will he reach her in time to save her life and their marriage or will this be their last Yule?

Patti Sherry-Crews - The Protector

 What can Juliana Basset, the daughter of an English merchant, have done to put her in the sights of the most powerful men in the country? It’s not what’s she’s done but what she knows. She harbors a secret that could topple the monarchy. A knight, Sir William, is sent to take her into protection until things settle down.

Stowing her away in a convent until things settle down seems like a good idea. Except Juliana stumbles upon yet another secret while there. Things are not adding up at the convent—literally. When she can't help but dig around, the place of sanctuary could be the death of her. Trying to keep the lovely lady out of harm's way turns out to be more of a challenge than Sir William anticipated.

 

Beverly Wells - The Gift

           

Sir Geoffrey Eton, captain of Sir Royce’s regiment is a hardened, gruff warrior. All his life he served England, protected others, and trained men. Tavern wenches satisfied his occasional needs. There simply was no necessity for a wife. Orphan, Heather Douglas grew up in an abbey in Scotland, loving life.

When she joins her best friend at the Scotland castle granted to Royce, she brings her smiles and laughter. She also brings her flawed leg, her stubbornness and determination. Will her bright smile and charm be the weapons to finally take down the mighty warrior Geoffrey’s resistance?  

     

 

 Dawn Thompson – A Wish Under a Yuletide Moon

It was under the cold Yuletide moon when Garlon Trivelyan, Knight of the Realm, heard the sirens keen—just before the ship hit Land’s End shoals.  As the galley broke apart, he felt something keeping him afloat in the icy waters, nudging him toward shore.  He suddenly found himself on the beach, his arm deeply wounded.  His blood black under the silver moonlight.  Garlon knew he was dying so he made a wish to live, never remotely believing that final request could be answered.  Too late he recalled the warning: be careful for what you wish.

Annalee, the goddess of the wishing well, heard the mortal’s plea—and answered it.  Now Garlon Trevilyan was trapped in the land of the Fae on the night of Yule, where magic could save a dying man’s life.  But at what price?

Answer today's question to win a beautiful Tradesize print copy of One Winter Knight

Sunday’s Question:

If you had to go back in time to the era of Knights and Ladies, and could only take three things from your modern world to make life easier, what would they be?

 

Sunday – Win a copy of One Yuletide Knight

and

One Grand Prize Winner of all three books

Happy Holidays!!!