How to Seduce a Scoundrel
Page 36
Fun! I knew when these two were reunited sparks (and knives) would fly!
But Connor isn’t one to back down from a fight. In fact, he longs to tame his wild Highland mare. But does he need to protect the last Stuart king from her?
Journey back in time where plots and intrigue once ruled the courtly halls of Whitehall Palace, and two souls who were born to love only each other find their way back into each other’s arms.
If Mairi doesn’t kill him first.
(Did I mention, I collect medieval daggers? Just in case…)
Happy Reading!
www.paulaquinn.com
From the desk of Kendra Leigh Castle
Dear Reader,
It all started with the History Channel.
No, really. One evening last year, while I was watching TV in the basement and hiding from whatever flesh-eating-zombie-filled gore-fest my husband was happily watching upstairs, I ran across a fascinating documentary all about a woman I never knew existed: Arsinöe, Cleopatra’s youngest sister. Being a sucker for a good story, I watched, fascinated, as the tale of Arsinöe’s brief and often unhappy life unfolded. And after it was all over, once her threat to Cleopatra’s power had been taken care of in a very final way by the famous queen herself, I asked myself what any good writer would: what if Arsinöe hadn’t really died, and become a vampire instead?
Okay, so maybe most writers wouldn’t ask themselves that. I write paranormal romance for a reason, after all. But that simple, and rather odd, question was the seed that my book DARK AWAKENING grew from. Now, Arsinöe isn’t the heroine. In fact, she’s more of a threat hanging over the head of my hero, Ty MacGillivray, whose kind has served her dynasty of highblood vampires for centuries, bound in virtual slavery. But her arrival in my imagination sparked an entire world, in which so-called “highblood” vampires, those bearing the tattoo-like mark of bloodlines descended directly from various darker gods and goddesses, form an immortal nobility that take great pleasure in lording it over the “lowbloods” of more muddied pedigree.
Lowbloods like Ty and his unusual bloodline of cat-shifting vampires, the Cait Sith.
Now, I won’t give out all the details of what happens when Ty is sent by Arsinöe herself to find a human woman with the ability to root out the source of a curse that threatens to take her entire dynasty down. I will say that Lily Quinn is a lot more than Ty bargained for, carrying secrets that have the potential to change the entire world of night. And I’m happy to tell you that it really tugged at my heartstrings to write the story of a man who has been kicked around for so long that he is afraid to want what his heart so desperately needs. But beyond that, all you really need to know is that DARK AWAKENING has all of my favorite ingredients: a tortured bad boy with a heart of gold, a heroine strong enough to take him on, and cats.
What? I like cats. Especially when they turn into gorgeous immortals.
Ty and Lily’s story is the first in my DARK DYNASTIES series, about the hotbed of intrigue and desire that is the realm of the twenty-first century vampire. If you’re up for a ride into the darkness, not to mention brooding bad boys who aren’t afraid to flash a little fang, then stick with me. I’ve got a silver-eyed hero you might like to meet….
Enjoy!
www.kendraleighcastle.com
Contents
Front Cover Image
Welcome
A Preview of How to Ravish a Rake
A Preview of How to Marry a Duke
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
The Dish
Glowing Praise for Vicky Dreiling’s How to Marry A Duke
Copyright
Glowing Praise for Vicky Dreiling’s
HOW TO MARRY A DUKE
“In her lively debut novel, Vicky Dreiling has penned a fresh, engaging take on Regency matchmaking that brims with clever wit and repartee. I found myself smiling and laughing out loud on numerous occasions. Here’s hoping for more of this promising new author’s historical romances!”
—Nicole Jordan, New York Times bestselling author
“An enchanting debut, full of humor and heart!”
—Madeline Hunter, New York Times bestselling author
“Vicky Dreiling delivers a tale chock full of warmth, wit, and tenderness. She’s sure to please readers everywhere!”
—Samantha James, New York Times bestselling author
“Sexy, fresh, and witty… A delicious read! Better than chocolate! Vicky Dreiling is an author to watch!”
—Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author
“A terrific romp of a read!… Vicky is a bright new voice in romance.”
—Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author
“Dreiling’s delightful debut combines the rituals of Regency courtship with TV’s The Bachelor… the inherent charm of the characters (especially the dowager duchess) keeps the pages flying until the surprising conclusion. Dreiling is definitely a newcomer to watch.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Engaging… charming… the cast is solid as they bring humor, shenanigans, and deportment, but the tale belongs to the duke and his matchmaker.”
—TheRomanticPosts.blogspot.com
* Musician/Activist
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Vicky Dreiling
Excerpt from How to Ravish a Rake Copyright © 2011 by Vicky Dreiling
Excerpt from How to Marry a Duke Copyright © 2011 by Vicky Dreiling
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Forever
Hachette Book Group
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First eBook Edition: July 2011
ISBN: 978-1-609-41908-0