A Cantata of Love
Category
Release Day for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TO SURRENDER!
It’s release day for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TO SURRENDER! This is the second book in my Impossible Mission series, and it’s about Finn and Sophie’s romance after Sophie is kidnapped in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST. The book does standalone, but to get the full story, you’ll want to read MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST first. If you love heart-pounding suspense, steamy romance, and Delta Force operatives so hot they’re almost lethal, you’ll love this book.
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SHE’S NOT A PARTY GIRL ANYMORE…
Sophie Dean has worked long and hard to shed the rock-n-roll bad girl reputation she earned at college. With her rebellious days behind her, Sophie now uses the prestige of the Dean family name and money to bankroll humanitarian aid. The only part of her past she can’t leave behind is the major crush she has on Finn Jenkins. When danger from an unknown quarter threatens Sophie’s latest undertaking and she needs protection, fate steps in and delivers a second chance with Finn.
HE’S FOUGHT HIS FEELINGS FOR TOO LONG…
When Finn returns home after two tours of duty as a Navy SEAL, it doesn’t take long to realize he still has feelings for Sophie, who is no longer the irresponsible young woman he walked away from all those years ago. An assignment to escort Sophie and an orphaned Pakistani boy to the Pacific Northwest should have been an easy mission—and it’s the perfect opportunity to get re-acquainted with Sophie and finally confess how he feels. But when someone threatens the orphan in their care, Sophie and Finn must set aside their feelings to save the child’s life…and their own.
TOGETHER, THEY’LL HAVE TO RISK IT ALL.
Read an excerpt from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TO SURRENDER:
And to celebrate the release of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TO SURRENDER, you can download AN INNER FIRE (Grayce Walters Mystery Series #1) AND A CANTATA OF LOVE (Code Breakers Series, #4) for free for a limited time.
A Cantata of Love is free for a limited time!
Free for a limited time: a cantata of love
Have you been looking to read my intrigue-filled Regency series the Code Breakers? Now you can, for free! A CANTATA OF LOVE, book four, is free for a limited time at all e-book vendors. Each book in the series stands alone.
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Enjoy the passionate, suspenseful Regency world of the Code Breakers, where daring lords and ladies decode the path to happily ever amidst their dangerous, heroic fight against Napoleon’s treacherous designs.
As the oldest son of the brilliant Harcourt code breaking family, the Earl of Kendal has never backed down from a challenge. When he accepts a dangerous clandestine assignment in Paris, he never expects it to be his last. But with his enemies hot on his trail, and a quickly worsening injury sapping his strength, even Michael Harcourt might not survive this one. Just as death seems imminent, he is saved by a young boy…or so he thinks.
Lady Gabrielle De Valmont is not what she seems. Desperate to avoid the terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, she’ll do anything to escape, including disguising herself as a boy and helping a cunning Englishman. She can ignore the desire he stirs within her, for their alliance will be short-lived at best, a necessary evil.
But when the danger follows her back to England, Gabrielle must rely on Michael for protection. When both lord and lady have secret identities, can their passion really be trusted?
Read an excerpt from A CANTATA OF LOVE
Check out my NEW RELEASE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE TO SURRENDER
Download AN INNER FIRE (Grayce Walters #1) for free for a limited time too!
Excerpt: A Cantata of Love (Regency Romantic Suspense)
Research is one of the reasons I love writing Regency-era romantic suspense. Digging into history is fascinating and these factual events often inspire my plots. A Cantata of Love, book 4 in the Code Breakers series, features spies that use music to transmit secret messages. Here is an excerpt for you to enjoy.
About the Book
Napoleonic France is no place for an Englishman, especially Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, who is on a clandestine assignment for the Crown. Already injured and facing imminent discovery by Napoleon and Fouche’s men, Michael finds his escape made even more perilous when he is charged with the safety of a young boy who must be spirited out of Paris.
Desperate to escape the terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, Lady Gabrielle De Valmont must disguise herself as a boy and rely on the cunning of a virtual stranger—an Englishman, no less—to smuggle her out of the country. When the Earl’s injury becomes severely infected, rendering him gravely ill, Gabrielle realizes it is now up to her to save them both.
Excerpt – Prologue & Chapter One
1803
In the seaside town of Berck, France
Gabrielle De Valmont brushed back Lord Kendal’s blond curls and applied the wet cloth to his burning brow. His long, golden waves and eyelashes accentuated his fiery red cheekbones. In their days of hard travel from Paris, the earl’s gunshot wound had festered into a nasty infection.
At this moment, he rested. For days, when the fever spiked, he thrashed about, calling out about sending a code book to a woman named Henrietta.
Desperate to soothe him, Gabrielle discovered that he would calm with the French songs of her childhood.
They couldn’t hide much longer without being discovered by Napoleon’s or Fouché’s henchmen. When the earl’s condition had worsened to the point where he could no longer travel, Gabrielle had brought them, under cover of darkness, to her former mémé’s tiny village of Berck, south of Calais.
For eight long days and nights, she had cared for the feverish earl. Their presence in the tiny town couldn’t be kept secret much longer. They must leave Berck, and France, soon. But how could they flee with the French soldiers on high alert, inspecting every boat crossing the English Channel?
Monsieur Denby, Lord Kendal’s valet, had assured her that he had a plan to divert their attention.
Exhausted and despondent, she beseeched the Blessed Virgin for their safe escape and the earl’s recovery.
She also prayed that the earl would forgive her and Mother Therese for their deception. She had to believe that Lord Kendal would never abandon her to her terrible fate.
***
Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, woke to a soft voice and the delectable smell of a woman. She smelled like wildflowers. And her voice was soothing and sweet. Last night must have been one hell of a night of dissipation since he remembered nothing. But he had dreamed of his French mother crooning to him.
What was wrong with him? He had been in bed with a French woman, and he’d thought of his mother. His head ached as if horses had trampled over him. He tried to remember her name—Yvette? Or was it Mimi? He cracked open one lid. Big blue eyes the color of cornflowers stared down at him, and a lush, pink lower lip pouted. How could he have forgotten this angel’s name? Yvette. Definitely Yvette. “Yvette? Or maybe Mimi?”
He needed her again to refresh his memory. He raised his arms to pull her against him. He grabbed for her, but his arms felt weak. Thank God the rest of his body wasn’t that tired. She yelped when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her on top of him. “Yvette, darling. Don’t fight me. I need you.”
Yvette gasped and tightened against him. He rubbed himself against her slender body. Not his usual type, he noted. Clearly not an opera dancer by the slender frame. What had he drunk last night that he couldn’t remember this delectable handful?
“Let go of me,” she hissed.
He whispered against her soft, tender neck, kissing her ear. “Were you this feisty last night?”
“Let me go, you brute.” She shouted in his ear, causing his head to feel as if it were cracking wide open. She jumped back, tripping on the bedclothes and knocking the water canister from the side table. The loud crash reverberated in his head.
Women didn’t fight him. He was a generous lover. Was he overlooking something from last night?
Michael looked at the disheveled, bewitching woman glaring at him. Hair the color of honey sparkled in the morning sunlight, but her bright eyes were now dark and stormy.
Damn, damn. She looked far too innocent and way too marriageable. What had he gotten himself into?
He rearranged the bedding to hide the obvious, then lifted himself to the head of the bed.
The mademoiselle didn’t look so much offended as just plain pissing mad. Her eyes had narrowed, and she glowered at him—the look of a woman who might impale him with the fireplace poker. He had gotten into a lot of scrapes, but this wasn’t how he imagined finding a wife.
The door to his bedroom swung open, knocking against the wall. The pain behind his eyes pounding like a son of a…
Denby, his valet, stormed into the room, swearing under his breath. “What the hell? Are you alright, Mademoiselle Gabrielle?”
She gestured with her hands and spoke in rapid French to Denby. Had she just called him, the Earl of Kendal, a “stupid horse’s ass”?
Denby took the irate woman’s arm. “I’ll clean up the mess. Now that he’s awake, you should prepare yourself to leave. We’ve a long journey ahead of us.”
With no word of farewell, the Mademoiselle Gabrielle huffed and left the room.
Denby chuckled. “Barely awake and already causing problems.” He bent to pick up the water container. “It is good to see you back, my lord. You scared the hell out of me. If it weren’t for Mademoiselle Gabby’s nursing, I’m not sure…”
“I’ve been sick?” He did feel a bit weak after his tussle with the delectable young woman.
“You developed a fever right after we escaped from Paris.”
The memory of fleeing Paris and Fouché’s men brought him totally awake. “My last memory is leaving Paris dressed as a nun.”
Denby handed him a glass that had survived the mademoiselle’s spirited response. “You developed a fever from your gunshot wound, and we had to hide out here. This is where Mademoiselle Gabby’s nanny is from and the people helped us.”
Gabby. He didn’t have any recollection of Gabby when they left Paris. “How long have I been out? And who is Gabby?”
“I’m glad you’re ready to travel. I’ve got a bad feeling if we don’t get out of here soon, all of Fouché’s and Napoleon’s men are going to descend.”
He only remembered Denby, and the boy, Pierre, fleeing for their lives dressed as nuns. He had stolen the code book from Le Chiffre, and everyone in Paris seemed to be after him. He wondered if Henrietta had received the book.
“Any news from England? Do we know if Henrietta received the package?”
“I haven’t been able to make any contact. We’ve been in hiding. I’ve arranged for a boat from Calais. They’ve been waiting for a signal that you’re able to travel. We go tonight with the tide. I want to get us out of France. I can’t breathe here.”
“Did you shake the villain who was posted at my house in Paris too?”
“Yes, but we can’t stay here any longer. I’ll change the bandages and get you some breakfast. You’ll rest up before we make the trip. We have to go by horseback, and I hope it won’t open your wound.”
He suddenly was assailed with the ignominy of the location of his wound. He had been shot in the arse by an unknown assailant while fleeing after he had stolen the code book. The code book, literally, was a pain in his arse.
He sure hoped to hell it gave England a tactical advantage against the power-hungry Napoleon.
For more information or to keep reading, click HERE.
A Cantata of Love now available on audio, as well as print and ebook
A Cantata of Love is now available on audio. Enjoy Chapter One, narrated by Pearl Hewitt, the talented voice actor who narrated the other three titles in the series. Click HERE to listen now.
Not an audiobook fan? Do you prefer print books while everyone else seems to have made the jump to ereaders? Have you ever wondered why you prefer one book format over another? Believe it or not, your format preference is motivated by a number of interesting factors. Here’s what research and scientific theory have to say about why readers prefer different book formats.
A 2011 survey revealed different buy vs. borrow rates for book formats. Between 54% and 61% of print and ebook readers preferred to own copies of books, compared to just a third of audiobook listeners. Of the 61 percent of audiobook borrowers, those with library cards were more likely to borrow instead of buy copies.
Many people assume that young readers prefer ebooks, which can be accessed on digital devices, but research contradicts this assumption. A survey of 16-24-year-old readers indicated more than 60% preferred print books, most who said they liked holding a book in their hands.
Ebooks don’t offer a sensory reading experience, but they deliver a wealth of practical advantages that appeal to readers:
- Cheaper than print books
- Instant access/immediate gratification
- Convenience
- Storage space is not an issue
- Less conspicuous
- Portability
People process information differently Educators recognize seven learning styles. A person’s (combined) learning style can influence which book format they prefer.
- Visual (spatial): Preference for pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
- Aural (auditory-musical): Preference for sound and music.
- Verbal (linguistic): Preference for words, both in speech and writing.
- Physical (kinesthetic): Preference for body, hands and sense of touch.
- Logical (mathematical): Preference for logic, reasoning and systems.
- Social (interpersonal): Preference for groups or with other people.
- Solitary (intrapersonal): Preference for being alone and self-study.
Some research has been conducted on how personality traits impact entertainment preferences. The theory is that different types of content fulfill different psychological needs, such as mood, attitude and disposition.
Lifestyle undoubtedly influences what format readers prefer. One Reddit discussion thread demonstrates this in an example provided by WoodensBeard who wrote about having time in his late teens to “read books ad nauseum,” but later in life did not have space for storing books nor time to read them so he’d turned to audiobooks, listening while cooking, cleaning, traveling and using his computer.
So why do different people prefer different formats? Here are my unscientific, unproven theories:
People who prefer print books like the tactile sensation of reading, such as the weight of the book, the sound and sensation of flipping pages and the scent of books. They also enjoy the visual component of full bookshelves, catching sight of favorite titles/authors and the imagery of covers.
People who prefer ebooks are motivated by practical concerns such as cost and convenience.
People who prefer audiobooks like the convenience and accessibility, as well as the auditory “storytelling” component.
Authors know readers have difference preferences, which is why so many deliver their books in all three formats. When one of our primary goals is to connect with new readers, offering print, ebook and audiobooks amplifies our opportunities to do so.
If you would like to receive the audio version of A Cantata of Love in exchange for an honest review on Audible, please email me at Jacki@JackiDelecki.com.
A Cantata of Love audiobook in production
I’m excited to announce that Pearl Hewitt, the talented voice actor who narrated the other three titles in the Code Breakers series, will also narrate Michael and Gabrielle’s story. A Cantata of Love will be available on audio in mid-September. Click HERE for an audio sample.
To celebrate this addition to the Code Breakers audiobook series, I’m giving away three sets to three lucky winners. Enter the Triple Play Giveaway by vising me on Facebook and simply Liking, Sharing or Comment on my post.
#amlistening #amreading