Sealed With a Kiss: Maya Rodale + Giveaway
Maya Rodale
Maya Rodale began reading romance novels in college at her mother’s insistence and it wasn’t long before she was writing her own. Maya is now the author of multiple Regency historical romances. She lives in New York City with her darling dog and a rogue of her own.
The Love Letter:
From the file of love letters that were never sent:
The Duke of Wycliff to Miss Eliza Fielding
From the assorted papers found behind that locked door in Wycliff House...
Eliza,
I ought to write to you about dusting the library or polishing the crystals in the second floor sconces, or making the bed in the master chamber after... I ought not write to you at all.
But I am a Wicked Wycliff and thus cannot be bothered with what I should or shouldn’t do. I want what I want and I let nothing stand in my way. Not even you and your secrets dear Eliza.
I have traveled round the world. Of all the places I have been and all the places I have seen, none have intrigued me, transfixed me, obsessed me as you. Of all the people in London and the world over, you, my housemaid, are the one who understands me best. Unless you are not a housemaid after all?
Tempted, tortured, yours,
--Sebastian
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Check out Sebastian and Eliza's love story in:
THE TATTOOED DUKE
Coming in February 28th, 2012
THE TATTOOED DUKE
Coming in February 28th, 2012
Breaking news, scandal fans! You thought you knew the dangerous Duke of Wycliff, London’s globe-trotting adventure addict. Here’s what you don’t know: he’s penniless. Sebastian Digby’s dukely lifestyle is over forever unless he finds a rich bride. But thanks to The London Weekly, everyone knows better than to tangle with this lothario. Besides (as one writer can testify), it seems that Sebastian has been unable to keep his hands of his own lowly housemaid…
And that’s a problem. A big one.
Because that housemaid just happens to be me. Eliza Fielding. The same undercover Writing Girl who’s been exposing the Duke’s most intimate secrets to the world. And now I’ve gone and complicated everything by falling love with him. Passion and deception have never been so delicious, but now the truth could destroy everything. This is more than a conflict of interest. It’s a seduction where love itself hangs in the balance.
PRE-ORDER NOW:
Barnes&Noble (Paperback) | Barnes&Noble (Nook)
**Giveaway**
Maya is giving away a copy of THE TATTOOED DUKE, to 1 lucky commenter (US Only) So make sure you leave a comment on this post AND fill out the rafflecopter for your chance to win!
And don't forget to head over to Ramblings From This Chick blog, check out Eliza's letter to Sebastian, and comment/enter that giveaway as well!
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Swing by the special Sealed with a Kiss event page to get extra entries for the GRAND PRIZE!!!
On the 9th Day of Christmas My True Lord Gave To Me..with Maya Rodale (+ Giveaway)
9 Playful Princes with Maya Rodale
Find Maya Online: Website | Extras' Page | Twitter | Facebook
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Nine playful princes, one scorned duke and daring wallflower
London
22nd December, 1820
It was the sort of occasion for which marriage-minded mamas resorted to all manner of nefarious trickery, for which obscenely expensive and exquisite gowns were purchased, and upon which the hearts and hopes and dreams of many a maiden were fixed.
The occasion which had all of London in a froth (the female half, particularly) was the first ever gathering of the League of Princes. Nine European Princes gathered in London to pledge their friendship and unite their nations for the greater good of Europe. Or something to that affect; most of London was in an utter frenzy because there were Princes in town. Eligible, marriageable Princes. Nine of them, in fact.
A ball was held at the Palace to celebrate. Invitations were highly coveted. The Duke of Uxbridge sold his for three thousand pounds to some title-hunting American. Five hundred invitations were sent. Six hundred favorable replies were received. The ball was an absolute crush.
The women were agog over the Princes. One man was decidedly not.
“How does it feel to not be the highest ranking chap in the room?” Jack Fitzwalter asked, clapping his friend, the Duke of Ashbourne on the back.
“I have never enjoyed myself at a ball more, now that the vicious machinations of debutants and their mothers are not directed at myself,” Ashbourne answered truthfully. On every other occasion, since the day of his birth, he’d been The Most Eligible Bachelor In The Room.
Thus, it was strange to be able to relax, rather than be on guard for a wicked female to tear her bodice, muss up her hair and throw herself into his arms, as Miss Trawicke had done just Thursday last at the Westlake Soiree.
“Not one single female is remotely interested in you this evening,” Fitzwalter said, awed. “It’s as if you were manure on the bottom of one’s boot.”
“Ridiculous. I could still have any woman I chose,” Ashbourne scoffed.
“Indeed? I wager that Lady Ophelia Marchant will not waltz with you,” Fitzwalter said, inkling his head to the lady in question. Her family occupied the house next to Ashbourne’s in London. While they were familiar to each other, his determination to avoid any suitable and unmarried female—as the Most Eligible Bachelor In The Room was wont to do—meant they were not close.
She was on what, her third season now? She was a plain lass, and too quiet and steadfast to draw many suitors. She was not the sort of woman to inspire mad passions in a man.
“Twenty pounds says she will,” Ashbourne said, shaking his friends hand and strolling over to Lady Ophelia. Surely, he’d be twenty pounds richer in just a few moments.
“Good evening, Lady Ophelia.” He bowed before her. She spared him the briefest of glances.
“Go away,” she hissed. When he recovered from the surprise of being refused, Ashbourne delighted in the challenge before him.
“Would you like to waltz?” he asked, undeterred.
“No thank you,” she replied.
“You realize you have just refused a duke,” Ashbourne pointed out. It seemed overmuch to add that he was generally considered The Most Eligible Man In The Room.
“Pshaw. A duke is a trifling thing tonight. I’m saving myself for a Prince.” At the mention of her quarry, Lady Ophelia’s eyes brightened with excitement and her cheeks flushed with anticipation. Had he said she was plain? She was really pretty, in truth.
“Any particular Prince? I hope you hadn’t set your heart on the Prince Furstenberg for he’s been ‘discovered’ with Lady Samantha Weatherby. They were in the conservatory. Certain items of attire were missing.”
Ashbourne and Lady Ophelia both turned to look at the ashen-faced Prince, who appeared shell-shocked and Lady Samantha, who smiled triumphantly and toasted her champagne flute.
“Oh well, one down. Eight options left,” Lady Ophelia said.
“Seven. The Prince of Schleswig-Holstein retired early,” Ashbourne said and Lady Ophelia scowled. “He tired of being hunted, I presume.”
“That doesn’t show much stamina now, does it?” Lady Ophelia murmured to his absolute shock.
“See, some things are more important than a title,” The duke said, uttering a sentence he never imagined would cross his lips. “Like stamina.”
“Your point, Your Grace?”
“A title isn’t everything,” he said.
“Really? Funny, that, coming from a Duke,” she said, glancing away from the crowds and Princes and fixing her gaze upon him. Suddenly, he felt warm. Overheated.
“A duke whom you refused not a moment ago.” He’d never been refused. She so clearly wasn’t the slightest bit interested in his company, yet a team of horses could not have dragged him away from her. It so happened that Lady Ophelia was pretty and intriguing.
“That was before I knew there were only seven princes left,” she said, sighing.
“Six,” the duke corrected. The Prince of Piacenza was entering the ballroom from the terrace, arm in arm with a very smug Lady Melinda Buckley. His cravat was askew, her hair was disheveled.
“Five, really. The Prince Volkonsky is supposedly a crashing bore. I’m not sure I could tolerate that, not for all the tiaras in Europe,” Lady Ophelia said. This elicited a grin on his part.
“Would you care to waltz now?” he asked. He didn’t need twenty pounds but he did need to win. More than anything, he now really, truly desired a waltz with Lady Ophelia.
“There are still five princes left,” she pointed out.
“Shall I dispatch them all?” he offered gallantly. Finally, she turned to look at him.
“You have never been so keen to dance with me before, duke. We are not strangers to one another.”
“You never would have refused me before,” he said frankly. Like many a man he was aroused and enthralled by the thrill of the chase, but despised being hunted himself. He did not puzzle on this double standard for he was noticing, for the first time, that Lady Ophelia possessed a marvelous, mouth watering figure. He clasped his hands behind his back, lest he surrender to the impulse to touch, to caress.
“Shh. The Prince of Capua is coming this way!” She cried.
“I believe he is headed toward the punch bowl.”
“Well then to the punch bowl we must go.”
“We?” That was a good sign, at least. Off to his left, Fitzwalter was laughing heartily at the sight of the Duke of Ashbourne trailing after Lady Ophelia Marchant, who was in hot pursuit of a Prince of Capua.
A mob swarmed the Prince as he arrived at the punch bowl. Apparently, the entire ton was suddenly, outrageously parched. He might have wished to watch the scene about to unfold—enhanced by the gin that young Lord Derby had spiked the punch with.
But Ashbourne noticed that he stood under the mistletoe. With Lady Ophelia. To hell with the waltz. He suddenly, desperately wanted a kiss.
Lady Ophelia noticed that she stood under the mistletoe with the Duke of Ashbourne whom she had adored a la distance for quite some time now. Years of pining for him had met with no success. Tonight, she deliberately switched her tactics to rebuff him rather than throw herself at him, as per the advice of her other neighbor, the devious Lady Palmerston.
She had curbed her impulses to waltz, to banter prettily with him. She had, by some Christmas miracle, managed to maneuver them under the mistletoe under the pretence of following the Prince of whatever to the punch bowl.
“There are still 5 Princes left,” Ashbourne said. The ninny.
Lady Ophelia heaved a sigh. “I suppose a duke will do.”
And before a gaggle of princes and ballroom stuffed with the haute ton, the duke of Ashbourne kissed Lady Ophelia Marchant.
After that, their betrothal was announced. And after that, he paid twenty pounds to Fitzwalter for though he failed to obtain a waltz, he’d scored a kiss. It was worth every penny.
###
Want some more of Maya Rodale's work?Coming in March 2012:
Breaking news, scandal fans:
You thought you knew the dangerous Duke of Wycliff, London’s globe-trotting adventure addict. Here’s what you don’t know: he’s penniless. Sebastian Digby’s duekly lifestyle is over forever unless he finds a rich bride. But thanks to The London Weekly, everyone knows better than to tangle with this lothario. Besides (as one writer can testify), it seems that Sebastian has been unable to keep his hands of his own lowly housemaid…
And that’s a problem. A big one. Because that housemaid just happens to be me. Eliza Fielding. The same undercover Writing Girl who’s been exposing the Duke’s most intimate secrets to the world. And now I’ve gone and complicated everything by falling love with him. Passion and deception have never been so delicious, but now the truth could destroy everything. This is more than a conflict of interest. It’s a seduction where love itself hangs in the balance
Pick It Up Today!:
Amazon (paperback) | Barnes&Noble (paperback)
**Giveaway**Maya will be giving away one copy of A TALE OF TWO LOVERS, book two in the Writing Girls series to one random commenter who answers the following question: hold out for a prince, or will a duke do for you? (US Only) Just make sure to leave a comment with your answer and fill out the raffle copter form below!
Don't Forget to head over to Ramblings From This Chick and read Christie Kelly's special holiday scene (plus ener her giveaway)
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**Grand Prize Giveaway**
On behalf of myself, Dani and a whole host of generous and awesome authors, we will be having one BIG Grand Prize given away to 1 lucky winner. The grand prize consists of a mix of books, swag, and lots of other secret goodies. Believe me, you want to enter to win this prize. Just make sure to leave a comment every day on each post on both blogs and fill out that day's grand prize giveaway form on each blog. You can follow THIS link to today's form for this post or fill it out below after you comment.That's it. Super easy!
Good Luck everyone and Happy Holidays!
Coming Soon: Anticipated Releases for April 2011
I hope my list of Anticipate Releases helps you pick some great books! I can't wait! Enjoy!
Here are the Anticipated Releases for April 2011!!!
April 5th- Will see some pretty awesome books coming into a store near you! Get those credit cards ready! Christina Dodd's AMAZING Governess Brides series will see it's 9th installment hitting the shelves this day, as well as another bride-esque series-this one coming from debuting author Cheryl Ann Smith. And don't forget to check out Erica Ridley's latest historical. (also, Ms Ridley has a wonderfully entertaining website and you can view a corresponding 'Scandal Sheet' for her release.)
'Taken By A Prince' by Christina Dodd
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| Read an excerpt: here |
"Lovely Victoria Cardiff is very prim, very strict, very sure that England is the only civilized place in the world. She’s about to find out she’s right. Only Victoria knows the truth about dashing, dissolute, dangerous Saber Lawrence—that he is a renegade prince plotting to seize control of his country. To ensure her silence, Saber kidnaps Victoria and carries her away to his castle deep in the woods. There they hide the truth about their past: a glittering ball, angry words, a passionate kiss. He vows to vanquish her reserve … but soon finds an English governess is not so easily seduced …"Source
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'The School For Brides' by Cheryl Ann Smith
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| Read an excerpt: here |
"It's never too late to live happily ever after...
Miss Eva Black spent her life concealing her mother's past as a courtesan. Now a spinster, her beauty hidden away under a dour disguise, Eva spends her days schooling courtesans to be suitable wives. But one vengeful duke does not appreciate Eva turning his mistress into a lady. He plans to seduce Eva into becoming what she detests: a courtesan. But he doesn't expect her to be a woman of such beauty and so many secrets."Source~*~
'Too Sinful To Deny' by Erica Ridley
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| Read an excerpt: here |
One look at the towering ocean-side manor that is to be her new home, and exiled socialite Susan Stanton knows: This is a place haunted by secrets and riddled with menace.
For Susan, there is no escaping it. At best she can stay clear of the most dangerous element of all--dark-haired smuggler Evan Bothwick, a man whose shaded countenance cannot hide his wicked intent.
But Susan has a secret of her own--a special gift that renders her privy to the darkest mysteries lurking within the walls of the manor and in the labyrinthine cellars beneath. And the only man who can help her make sense of it all is Evan, the very scoundrel and rogue she would do anything to be able to resist..."Source
Fat Tuesday (for books) is APRIL 26th, 2011! SOOOOO Many amazing reads are coming out on this day! The FANTASTIC Madeline Hunter will end her beloved Rarest Blooms series with the book we've all been waiting for, as well as Sarah MacLean's dearly regarded Love by Numbers series will come to a close in April. But where some series are ending, a whole bunch are planning to keep adding to theTBR count: Mary Jo Putney adds to her wonderful Lost Lords series, Kieran Kramer gives readers another Impossible Bachelor book, and Maya Rodale's Writing Girl Book series will see another tale. And don't forget about the new single novel bythe ever-lovely Anna Campbell that is coming that day- right along with the first book in a new highlander series by Margaret Mallory! (Programing Note: Anna Campbell will stop by on the 29th the month for some book chat and a giveaway and Sarah Maclean will swing by next month for a cool interview! )
'Dangerous In Diamonds' by Madeline Hunter
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| Read an excerpt: here |
When Daphne Joyes rejects this notorious hedonist’s seduction, she assumes that he will forget about her and continue on his path to hell. Instead her beauty, grace and formidable composure captivate him, and she becomes one of those fascinations to him. That he intends to have her, and soon, is actually the least of the dangers that his pursuit of her presents. More troublesome is his interest in her past and her history, and the way he keeps poking his nose into the secrets behind the distant relative’s bequest that gave him ownership of the property where she lives."Source
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'Nowhere Near Respectable' by Mary Jo Putney[read edit] |
| Read an excerpt: here |
But Damian Mackenzie has secrets that leave no room in his life for courting high-born young ladies—especially not the sister of one of his oldest friends. Yet when Kiri’s quick thinking reveals a deadly threat to England’s crown, Damian learns that she is nowhere near as prim and respectable as he first assumed... and the lady is far more alluring than any man can resist..."Source
*Edit: I've been informed that Nowhere near Respectabe will be out in May, not April. I follow and go by the release dates on amazon.com or the publisher's website, and even if a release is late in the month (includes last day of month), I'l count it as that month's release. Mary Jo Putney DOES have a reissued slated for APRIL (as in April 5th),called 'The Bargain' Make sure you check it out!
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'Midnight's Wild Passion' by Anna Campbell
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| Read an excerpt: here |
The dashing, licentious Marquess of Ranelaw can never forgive Godfrey Demarest for ruining his sister - now the time has come to repay the villain in the same coin. But one formidably intriguing impediment stands in the way of Nicholas's vengeance: Miss Antonia Smith, companion to his foe's unsuspecting daughter.
Having herself been deceived and disgraced by a rogue-banished by her privileged family as a result and forced to live a lie-Antonia vows to protect her charge from the same cruel fate. She recognizes Ranelaw for the shameless blackguard he is, and will devote every ounce of her intelligence and resolve to thwarting him.
Yet Antonia has always had a fatal weakness for rakes…"Source
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'A Tale of Two Lovers' by Maya Rodale' |
| Read an excerpt: here |
Lord Simon Roxbury is a godsend to gossip columnists everywhere. this notorious rake has recently been caught in an extremely compromising position by none other than The London Weekly‘s Lady of Distinction. Rumor also has it that Lord R received an ultimatum: be wed or be penniless.
She is scandalous.
As A Lady of Distinction, Lady Julianna Somerset typically reports on other people’s scandals, but soon she finds herself embroiled in a very public battle with an irate Lord Roxbury–one that leaves her reputation in tatters and her position at The Weekly on the line.
Together they’re…respectable?!
With no other choice available, these two enemies unite in a marriage of convenience to rescue both their reputations and secure his fortune. With their rivals intent on revealing the charade, Lady Julianna and Lord Simon inevitably surrender to temptation. It may just be a love match after all…"Source
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'Cloudy With A Chance At Marriage' by Kieran Kramer
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| Read an excerpt: here |
Captain Stephen Arrow is just home after years of service, and he’s in no hurry to give up his hard-won freedom. The meddlesome bluestocking Jilly Jones is exactly the kind of woman he doesn’t need…But there’s something about her that keeps drawing Stephen back to the bookshop. With her sparkling wit and understated beauty, she seems like a surprisingly real match for Stephen. But will a scandalous chapter in Jilly’s past stand in the way of their heated attraction? For this bachelor, nothing is impossible…"Source
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'Eleven Scandals To Start To Win A Duke's Heart' by Sarah MacLean
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| Read an excerpt: here |
Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips...and precisely the kind of woman the Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.
He swears by reputation.
Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening--risking everything he holds dear--he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety."Source
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'The Guardian' by Margaret Mallory
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| Read an excerpt: here |
After years of fighting abroad, Ian MacDonald comes home to find his clan in peril. To save his kin, he must right the wrongs from his past . . . and claim the bride he's long resisted.
As a young lass, Sìleas depended on Ian to play her knight in shining armor. But when his rescue attempt compromised her virtue, Ian was forced to marry against his wishes. Five years later, Sìleas has grown from an awkward girl into an independent beauty who knows she deserves better than the reluctant husband who preferred war to his wife. Now this devilishly handsome Highlander is finally falling in love. He wants a second chance with Sìleas - and he won't take no for an answer."Source
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And there you go! April's rarest blooms all ripe for the picking! Speaking of ripe, this month's crop was SO bountiful, there seems to be a few more release I feel I should mention. And they don't get any riper than Isobel Carr's 'Ripe For Pleasure' and Kathryn Smith's 'When Tempting A Rogue'. Both are released on April 26th and BOTH look like stellar reads!!! Click the images for info on their Amazon pages!
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