Blurb
Praised
for her beauty and grace, deep down, Seren Pendragon fears a tempest
rising inside her. Her mother is a witch, her sisters are in peril,
and she has been promised to a beast of a man who's already murdered
one king. When she and her youngest sister seize the opportunity for
escape neither realizes how much their struggle will cost, and it
will take a terrible tragedy to unleash Seren’s inner fire and true
nature.
The
Bastard of Warkworth is no stranger to misfortune. Everything he held
dear vanished one night in a wisp of smoke and fire, and he has been
scarred by his encounters with Seren's own mother, Morwen Pendragon.
Even so, when one of the witch’s daughters finds herself in
trouble, Wilhelm must find the champion within and ride to her
rescue.
Excerpt
“Where
are you going?” she asked in surprise.
“Home,”
he said irascibly.
“Nay,
my lord—not lest you mean to go by ship. And you’ll not put me on
another one after what I have witnessed. You would have to gag and
bind me, and tis not very likely I would stand still to allow it.”
“I
am not your lord,” he said again. “I’m no man’s lord.” And
he kept riding, without bothering to turn back. Seren cast Jack a
bewildered glance. The boy shrugged.
It
was her habit, she supposed, to call every man of consequence lord.
Somehow, it seemed better to give Wilhelm deference, but he clearly
did not like it. And yet, he behaved like a willful lord, doing
whatsoever pleased, keeping whatever pace he saw fit, and never
bothering to ask what Seren would like to do. Hadn’t he said he was
here to help? Well, he hadn’t had very much to say since insisting
she accept his aid.
“Wait
here,” she said to Jack, and spurred her mare to catch up with the
sour-faced lout. “I do not mean to disparage you,” she confessed.
“Tis but that you seem more a lord to me than most lords do.”
He
grunted in answer, but kept going, and Seren frowned.
How
was she supposed to travel with his man, who seemed so intent upon
ignoring her? He hadn’t said much of anything since retrieving
Jack.
“What
in the name of St. Afan would you have me call you if not lord?”
“Wilhelm,”
he replied. “And since when do you Pendragon sisters swear by the
name of saints?”
Seren
lifted her chin. “I lived most of my life in a priory,” she
informed him. And then she whispered, “I cannot very well swear by
the Goddess, can I? Else Jack will wonder.”
“Well,”
he said. “That’s your fault. Had you left the boy in Dover you
wouldn’t have to pretend you are someone you are not. And anyway, I
doubt he knows St. Afan, either.”
Had
he somehow taken offense? “Do you know St. Afan?”
“Nay,”
he said. “And neither do I aspire to. He’s some Welshman, by the
sounds of him. But, more importantly, do you know who he is?”
Seren
frowned. “Nay, sir. I do not,” she confessed. “Though I did
hear Father Ersinius invoke him on occasion. I am not so much
impressed by saints.”
“What
are you impressed by?”
Seren
bristled. She was not going to confess herself to this impertinent
stranger. “What I wouldst like to know is what you wish me to call
you if not lord—can you, please, stop! Please?” She reined in her
horse, peering back at Jack, who was staring at them with furrowed
brows.
“Nay,”
he replied, without turning.
Seren
sighed, and moved forward once more. “Where are you going?”
“Home,
I said.”
She
furrowed her brow. “You are not going home! Did you not read that
sign? You are going to Ramsgate, returning to the ocean, and, once
again, I will remind you that lest you have a ship, or you and your
horse would like to have a good swim, the road to Canterbury is the
road best traveled.”
Finally,
he stopped, turning to look at her, and his cheeks appeared to bloom.
Without a word, he spun his mare about, trotting back toward Jack,
who was still waiting right where Seren left him. Wilhelm passed him
by, never sparing him or the signpost a glance.
He
couldn’t read, she realized, with blinding insight.
About
the Author
Tanya
Anne Crosby is the New York Times/USA Today bestselling author of
more than thirty novels, including works of women’s fiction,
suspense, historical romance and fantasy. Known for stories charged
with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, she is an
award-winning author, and her stories have garnered reader praise and
glowing critical reviews.
Tanya
has been featured in magazines, such as People, Romantic Times and
Publisher’s Weekly, and her stories have been translated into eight
languages. Her first novel (Angel of Fire) was published in 1992 by
Avon Books, where she was hailed as “one of Avon’s fastest rising
stars.” Her fourth book (Once Upon a Kiss) was chosen to launch the
company’s Avon Romantic Treasure imprint. She and her writer
husband currently split their time between Charleston, SC, where she
was raised, and northern Michigan, where the couple make their home.
Website:
https://www.tanyaannecrosby.com/
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Links
Tanya
Anne Crosby will be awarding signed copies of the Daughters of Avalon
series (3 books, US only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter
during the tour.
