Cover Reveal Time – Budapest Fairy Tale

Yes, book four of the Conall Clan is now available for pre-order! Budapest Fairy Tale is the story of Marcel. You met him when he and Karen, his sister, were kidnapped by Eric in book two. He demanded his own story and I was happy to oblige.

This family has really caught my imagination and a fifth book is currently under construction. Let me know who you think needs a story – I love suggestions from my readers. I’m giving away four copies (fourth book, right), so send in your thoughts to be entered in the contest! Just reply to the blog with the red stamp above and you’re in.

Coming October 5 – Amazon

Visiting Budapest during the writing of the story was the icing on the cake. I saw most of the places I wrote about, though it would take weeks to see everything I wanted to. If you’ve read my newsletter you’ve seen a lot of my pictures and they show so little of the magnificence of the place.

        

 

Here’s a little excerpt –

 

“Are you getting cold?” Jacquelyn asked.

“I’ve been overheated since I first laid eyes on you,” he admitted.

“Too bad, we could go to one of the thermal baths and spas. There are a dozen of them around.”

“Bath? Like massages and stuff? Even in the winter?”

She grinned, “Yes. There are saunas and steam rooms in addition to the baths. It’s very relaxing.”

“I didn’t bring a suit,” he groaned.

“I did and one for you. Not a lot of tourists enjoy it in this weather. The baths are thermal however, so the water will keep us warm. I think we would be fine.”

“You are definitely my lifemate. Let’s go.”

He could see the steam rising from the water as they approached. There were more people than he had imagined, though it still wasn’t crowded. As they separated to change, she handed him a small bag and he pulled the suit out.

“Uh, are you kidding?”

“What?”

“It’s, uh, very European.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s a Speedo. I’m not sure . . .”

“You’re not self-conscious about your body, are you? I can tell you, you will put the others to shame.”

“It’s just a little embarrassingly small. And with you standing so close, I can barely fit in what I’m wearing now.”

The loveliest blush covered her face as her eyes danced. “If we’re to be mated, I need to know what I’m getting, don’t you think?”

“That’s fair. Be advised, everyone else here will see what you’re getting, too.” Her laughter made his heart turn flips, and he kissed her. “Hurry, I want to see what I’m getting as well.”

He forced himself to the dressing room, feeling her eyes on his back. The room where he changed reminded him of the wine cellar at the house, with the cavern-like ceiling of brick. Both were so much older than anything he had ever seen back in the States.

His heart nearly stopped at the sight of her in a one-piece black bathing suit. It was modest compared to many here, and to his mind, classier. Jacquelyn had pulled her long hair up into a messy bun and strands of the dark silk were already pulling free to outline her face. She was by far the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and this suit showed that off with grace and refinement.

He wanted to devour her.

If you need to catch up here are the other books in the series –

   

 

 

The Start of Summer (and giveaway!)

Hi guys! It’s already a hot one here, so I hope you have your ice water or lemonade handy. I’ve already had my vacation this year, will probably hang out at the pool and of course we’re planning Camp Grandar for July with the grandkidlet, but mostly low-key after that incredible trip to Europe for our 40th anniversary. (Checkout my newsletter for more pics!)

To kick off the summer, I have some book recommendations – some of mine and some from others. Thought I’d do a little giveaway, so there’s a Rafflecopter just below – giving away some copies of Wrath’s Heart and Learning Trust paperbacks. I’ve also put Red Shoes on sale for $.99 for the month of June. It’s time to gear up that reading on the beach or by the pool.

Rafflecopter giveaway

   

How many books do you get to read on vacation or during the summer? Is it a big increase or just normal for you? Do you get into a series or like stand alones for a quick read?

Here’s some other books you ought to try out… click on the cover for more info.

      

 

Heaven-Sent Highlander is out

At an American museum, surrounded by Auguste Rodin’s bronze statues, a Scottish Fae beauty is at a crossroads. Now that Gwendolyn’s friends are engaged, and the demon they fought vanquished, should she return home? After committing a terrible act, she could not explain to her cousin why she had appeared on his doorstep

Alexander awoke in darkness inside a bronze statue, remembering how the green of Scotland’s Culloden field had turned red with blood that day in 1746. Had he died before awakening nude and sightless in front of strangers in present-day Raleigh, North Carolina? The mystery of how was overshadowed by why. Told that another warrior awoke when a demon threatened to take over the world, had a second demon escaped Hell? When the demon appears and demands Gwen join him, Alex must use all his new skills, weapons, and Heaven-sent powers to keep her and the world safe.

 

Multi-published and award-winning author, Nancy Lee Badger, and fellow Soul Mate Publishing author, presents a paranormal romance set in North Carolina filled with sights, sounds, a fabulous art museum, horses, sword fights, and a demon bent on capturing the Fae who murdered him. Did I mention the Samoyed Hellhound? A love of art, especially the bronze sculptures by the French master, August Rodin, helped give her ideas that brought this story to life. This is a full-length book, the second book in her Warriors in Bronze novels to be followed by Heaven-sent Flam

Excerpt

Eager to find the demon, vanquish it, then spend some quality time with Gwen, Alex  jumped up and over the counter and headed for the glass doors. He assumed Gwen would follow him, and prayed Sam stayed elsewhere.

Beyond the museum’s glass doors, what waited was a huge white beast with a mouthful of teeth and a throaty growl.

“We should go outside, but wait for me,” Alex heard Gwen call to him, as she made her way out the office door. She joined him by the entrance, but he swept an arm out to keep her back, making her stop in her tracks. He stood perfectly still with his back to her, his feet apart, and his staff at the ready.

“Did you just growl?” she whispered.

He did not move, nor did he answer her. A thin plate of clear fragile-looking glass stood between them and a huge snarling beast of a dog. “I believe yer beastie has decided to join us,” he whispered.

She suddenly shoved past him. “Where is the demon-fighting Hellhound?”

“He acts like he wants to eat me.”

“Don’t be silly, Alex. I was worried about him. If anything happens to that dog, Kenzie will have my head!”

The image of a headless Gwendolyn turned his stomach. As he watched, the beast spun and leaped high in the air, turned, and ran off. “We should wait inside where it is safe.”

“Go ahead and wait, but Ivor is on to something.” Gwen pushed open the huge doors and chased the beast as it headed toward the wooded area. When they disappeared among the trees, Alex willed his feet to move, and he ran.

Find all Buy Links Here: Nancy  Lee Badger

Nancy Lee Badger grew up in Huntington on New York’s Long Island, where school field trips to lofty museums were the norm. After attending Plymouth State, in New Hampshire, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education and met and married her college sweetheart. They raised two handsome sons in Rumney, New Hampshire, where Nancy volunteered as an EMT and firefighter while working full-time. When the children had left the nest, and shoveling show became a chore, she retired from her satisfying job as a 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Dispatcher and moved with her husband to North Carolina, where she writes full-time.

Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Triangle Association of Freelancers. She loves to travel and attend Scottish Highland Games and is never far from her laptop. She finds story ideas in the most unusual places.

Connect with her here:
Website   Twitter   Facebook   Amazon   Blog   BookBub   Goodreads

C. L. Hadyn’s latest – Guarded Hearts

Guarded Hearts

Wren lifted a single teardrop from his face to study it. He didn’t know what made him let the water works loose. Liar, liar, pants on fire his inner child chided. His eyes were leaking because he was confused and, okay, he was afraid. He yearned for what he suspected he would never achieve. He wanted a lasting relationship with Geordy. He wanted the idyllic family life Geordy had with the Campbells, and he wanted to be loved for himself, for being Wren and not a Marine Raider, not a mixed martial arts fighter, not a bladed weapons expert, just plain Wren who loved William Shakespeare, cuddles, and a keen wit to return his teases. He cried because he truly didn’t believe those things were written in his stars.

Amazon

 

Excerpt –

Marine Sergeant Wren de Lassy stood in resigned silence as the Staff Sergeant read out the dorm room assignments. MARSOC Command denied his request to live off base because he was single, below the rank of Staff Sergeant, and there were too many vacant dorm rooms.

Now he waited to be assigned a room with three other Marines. Men who snored, and farted, and moaned in their sleep. Men who thought nothing of flicking on the overhead light at 3 a.m. to undress after a weekend of drinking.

At twenty-six, Wren was too old to put up with that nonsense. He grew up with a king-size bed all to himself, and the thought of down-grading to a single bed was not at all appealing, but all Marines learned to suck it up in Boot Camp, and so he would.

Wren’s attention returned to the here and now when a violent expostulation from a Marine standing to his immediate left assaulted his ears.

“No, Staff Sergeant, I won’t do that. No way will I room with Sergeant Campbell, and I don’t care how many times you quote the regulation to me, I’m not sharing a room with a fag.”

Wren’s left eyebrow rose in surprise at the direction of the man’s anger. The man singled out was a mountain of a man, at least six feet, four inches, and with a torso like an oak trunk.

Wren’s surprise came not at Sergeant Campbell’s reaction, but in the absence of one for being outed as gay to the rest of the men in the room. Campbell didn’t glare at his accuser. He didn’t even have a frown line between his eyes to show a scintilla of emotion, but simply stood at ease and waited for the Staff NCO to straighten things out without any input from himself.

Before Wren could stop himself, he called out, “I’ll bunk with Sergeant Campbell.”

While he had the satisfaction of seeing a look of perplexity briefly cross Campbell’s face, he also saw speculation in the eyes of the rest of the Marines. Now it was his turn to show no emotion as he faced the Staff Sergeant, who sported a look of relief on his own face.

“Listen up Marines. Rogers, Levitz, Vogler, and Hernandez will take Room 301. Campbell and de Lassy will take Room 304.”

Wren didn’t even try to keep the smirk off his face. He and Campbell would now share a bedroom large enough to sleep four men, the ideal arrangement if you had to live in the dorm.

The Staff Sergeant continued to give instructions. “You have the rest of today and this weekend to settle in. Dismissed.”

Wren picked up his duffle and headed upstairs to his new room. By the heavy tread on the stairs behind him, the mountain was following. Wren didn’t acknowledge Campbell until he stepped over the threshold to room 304 and asked, “Are you a left side of the room sleeper or a right?” Wren turned to face Sergeant Campbell, who stood in the center of the room with his eyebrows making a solid line above his nose.

“Are you…?”

“Gay?” Wren finished the question. Before Campbell could ask for clarification, Wren continued, “Does it matter?” If he hadn’t been watching closely, he wouldn’t have noticed the slight rock back on Campbell’s heels.

“No, I guess it doesn’t, because I don’t date Marines. I especially don’t date anyone in my battalion, company, or team.”

“So good to know I’m safe. I’m Wren de Lassy. And you are?”

“Geordy Campbell, and I’m a right-side sleeper.”

Wren’s seeming insouciance over Geordy’s sexual orientation obviously had his new roommate puzzled, and the devil in him liked it that way.

 

C.L. Hadyn, a career historian with Hungarian/Viking nomadic roots, loads up the gypsy wagon for the last time (hopefully) and heads to Greensboro, North Carolina, to follow her delusion of becoming a New York Times best-selling author.  Yeah, sounds silly but it’s true.  I’m a transplanted Yankee living way south of the Mason-Dixon Line despite its lack of decent Italian food.  Uh, concerning the Italian food, I’d still sacrifice a small digit for authentic Italian cuisine a la Philly, Trenton, or New York.

Before settling down to write full time in the land of ‘bless your heart, and y’all’, I was a Special Operations (US Army and US Marines) military historian/archivist.  Now I collect a retirement check and write paranormal, and historical romance.  I guess my service with Army and Marine Special Operations left an indelible impression on my writing, because my characters, both male and female, are distinctly Spec Ops in their outlook.  They leave no man behind, color outside the lines, and are very, very lethal.  I’ve also pushed the envelope a little by including Erotica and BDSM and M/M romance. Which brings me to my latest books, Off Track, The Danegeld, and my latest, Guarded Hearts, published by Decadent Publishing under the pseudonym C. L. Hadyn.

If you have a taste for the paranormal, historical romance, or something more outre’, I would love to hear from you via Facebook.com/Cyn Hadyn or C. L. Hadyn.