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First Lord of Thieves Excerpt...Chapter One

Now that we're in to December...I thought I'd share with you, the FIRST ever excerpt of Lord of Thieves from Chapter One...

Enjoy!

Chapter One

1209, Nottinghamshire

I’m going to die this day.

Merrion squeezed her eyes shut as she stumbled from the darkened bowels of Laxton Castle into the bright, piercing sunlight. She stood on quaking limbs, her body weak and trembling as she waited for the harsh light to recede. Hands as hard as iron manacles gripped her arms, holding her upright. She gasped as they half dragged, half walked her into the welcoming morn. She had to bite her bottom lip to keep from crying out— her shoulders ached with each jarring movement.

How long was she chained in the dungeon, her arms stretched above her until she feared they would rip from the sockets? It could have been weeks or months in that place of eternal night.

Merrion was jerked to a halt, her knees giving way. She would have crumpled to the ground in a ragged heap, but the guards yanked her to her feet. She groaned, her body aching from head to toe. By dint of sheer will, she slowly straightened. She pried her eyes open and stared at her surroundings, and wished she hadn’t.

The massive wall of the inner bailey rose before her, twenty five feet high, and of solid stone. The gate tower, looming above the wall, glared down at her with its dark windows. Gripped by desperation, her gaze darted to the portcullis, but something tall and foreboding blocked her view.

Merrion’s eyes widened, her breath quickened, as a chill slithered down her spine.

Constructed in the centre of the bailey was a gibbet. The buttercolored wood looked freshly hewn in the golden dawn. And hanging from the elevated beam, was a thick coiled rope swinging gently in the spring breeze.

Merrion could not have been more horrified had a hooded executioner hefting a mighty axe been awaiting her. Her pulse raced as terror squeezed her heart. Tears rose to sting her eyes.

I am going to die this day.

There could be no denying the truth.

She wanted to scream, to rage at the heavens, but she would not give her brother-in-law the satisfaction of knowing her fright. Gathering the tattered shreds of her courage, she swallowed the cry threatening to erupt from her throat. She pushed back her panic and straightened her spine. If she was going to die this day, she would do so with honor and dignity— just as her father had taught her.

A strange noise reached her, like the roar of the waves battering the White Cliffs of Dover. She gazed past the gibbet and gasped.

A solid wall of humanity filled the bailey, from the gate tower to the gibbet. Men, women, and children had gathered for the grand spectacle of a high-born lady swinging from the noose. Merrion watched in disbelief as vendors moved through the throng with ale carts, roasted meats and baked bread. They peddled their wares in their loud sing-song voices.

Gisbourne must have invited the serfs and villagers from the surrounding Hundreds to watch her die.

Dread crept past her courage, freezing her blood. I cannot die like this. I cannot! Terrified, she shrank back against her captors. She’d rather starve to death in the dungeons than to suffer this.

“All will be well soon, milady,” a voice whispered soothingly in her ear.

Aye, she would be dead!

Merrion closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, calming the frantic patter of her heart. So she would suffer a few moments of humiliation and pain. At least she would no longer know torment at the hands of her brother-in-law. Nor would she be a pawn of the King.

Composed, she opened her eyes and gazed above the forbidding wall to the blue horizon. Despite her imminent demise, Merrion acknowledged it was one of loveliest sunrises she’d ever seen. The sweeping gold and red was slowly giving way to the deeper blue of day as clouds of white fluff lazily meandered across the great expanse. A gentle spring breeze wafted over her like a tender caress, teasing the tendrils at her temple. A wistful smile touched her lips when she spotted a hawk gliding across the sky. If only she could fly as the bird, then she too could escape her earthly bonds. She inhaled deeply of the fresh air, savoring it. It was the first she’d had in a long time. A strange peace of acceptance washed over her.

At least it was a nice day to die...

Buy the book in PDF or MobiPocket

Lord of Thieves Blurb

She is destined to hang…

Accused of murdering her husband, Lady Merrion de Beaufey is fated for the gallows, when the infamous outlaw—Robyn Hode— rescues her from a deadly hail of arrows. Unable to remember the night her husband died, Merrion races to discover the truth before Robyn realizes he’s protecting a murderess. But there is something irresistible about the seductive outlaw... Can she trust him with her darkest secret?

Only he can save her…

Lord Roberte de Montichet has returned to England for one reason—to avenge his father’s death, and clear his family name. Disguised as Robyn Hode, he rescues a woman escaping a band of murdering knights, only to discover it is none other than Lady Merrion—the woman who nearly destroyed him years earlier. Roberte yearns to succumb to the passion burning between them, but dare he trust her? Or will she betray him yet again?

Available in PDF and MobiPocket

I vant to suck your blood...

I love Halloween...It's one of the few times of the year you can be anything you want!

I happen to have a thing for vampires...so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to dress up like one... ;-)

(And I must say, I've become rather good at doing self portraits...but then my Dad was a professional photographer, and taught me everything he knew...)

Happy Halloween!

Awesome Halloween Heels!

THE most awesome Halloween Heels EVER! When I saw these 5" heels, I just had to have them... ;-)

They're called Werewolf Beaters...LOVE the teeth on the front...

I only bought these a couple of days before Halloween...You can be assured I'll be wearing them for the whole of October next year...

Lord of Thieves... Available Now

I'm thrilled to announce Lord of Thieves was released TODAY by Awe-Struck Publishing. My first new historical romance in four years!

Currently, LOT is available in two formats:

PDF for Acrobat Reader - Click Here

MobiPocket - Click Here

Kindle as well as additional formats TBA.

Enjoy!

Just Released: Lord of Thieves!!!

I'm SO excited to announce...my dark and sexy Robin Hood story, LORD OF THIEVES is out now! Woohoo! All gaze upon the splendor that is the cover... ;-)

Want to WIN an iPad? Follow this guy!

Want to win the latest gadget from Apple--an iPad?

And help out a great cause to boot?

Then all you have to do is follow W. Brett Wilson on Twitter ( @WBrettWilson )--one of the most respected businessmen, and most generous philanthropists in Canada. And the fire-breathing Dragon with a Heart on the hit CBC TV show, Dragons' Den...

So here's how his Twitter Contest works:

Brett is already planning on donating $2,500 to the Military Families Fund, and wants to donate more! For every follower over 7,500 (who were following before the contest began), he will donate an additional $1.00... His goal is to reach 10,000 to 15,000 followers BEFORE April 26th (when the draw for the iPad will be held). To learn more, check out his website: www.wbrettwilson.ca

And as an added bonus, he's challenged Kevin O'Leary (of Dragons' Den & SharkTank) to match him in followers--and leaving Kevin in the dust, I might add... ;)

So to help him out with his goal AND have a chance at winning a brand new iPad, all you have to do is follow W.Brett Wilson on Twitter...

http://www.twitter.com/WBrettWilson

NOTE: Any follower (regardless of country) can win the iPad.

Good Luck!

The True Worth of a Man...

With the recent death of my father, things of have changed for me…it’s more than just losing a parent and a best friend, something inside of me is changing, becoming more adult.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve been an adult for years, but my way of thinking is evolving.  You really can’t understand unless you’ve lost a parent.  

But what I’ve been thinking about is the true value of a person…

This came to me after I wrote my father’s obituary.  What was my father’s worth, and how does one judge one’s value?

In this so-called modern society, it seems everyone is judged by two things: fame and wealth.

I’ve come to the realization that money is worthless.

Now before you go call the rubber room and have me hauled away, hear me out.

I’m not one of those people who think money is the root of all evil, but nor do I think it is the center of the universe.

I admit it, I like money. It’s great for paying the bills, it makes the financial world go round, and in this society that we live in, it helps you live life the way you want to.

But I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t matter how much your coffers are over flowing with gold, it is worthless…because in the end, when you die, you cannot take it with you. Nor will you be remembered for said wealth. Sure you might get a brief mention on the news, but very quickly your memory will fade away.

Fame isn’t much better in my opinion.  In fact, from what I’ve seen, it’s more of a detriment then a blessing.  And yet everyone wants to be famous.  But what will fame get you? An extra 20 minutes in the news before you’re replaced by the next news story? 

No, it is not fame or wealth that defines a man…it is his deeds.

What you do with your life and how you live it, is how people will remember you. 

Me and my mother have been getting a lot of condolences from friends and acquaintances…and on two separate occasions people actually said the following to my Mom when they found out about my father’s death.

“The universe was a better place when Max was in it…”

I admit, I feel the same way--he was my Dad--but to have others say such a thing says a lot about who my father was as a man and the weight of his deeds.

I think that if you can make the world around you (no matter how big or small you define that world) a better place while you’re in it, then you will always be remembered by those who know and love you.

Let deeds define you, not wealth or fame.

GO TEAM CANADA!

I've been dying to buy a souvenir from the Olympic Games, because they have been absolutely amazing! Watched the Opening Ceremonies with my Mom in surround sound (it was almost like being there...a BIG almost...LOL), and the Canadian Athletes have also been amazing...  

The whole world seems to be celebrating this beautiful and inspiring country right along with us.

And since it's the Canada vs USA Hockey Game tonight, I'd thought I would actually splurge (hard for me to do) and buy this replica jersey to watch the game in...and what happens? Canada loses 3 to 5... *shakes head* 

Oh the humanity! (LOL) But do not despair! Canada has a resilient spirit--never say die--and I know our Men's hockey team will KICK BUTT and will end up playing for Gold... *crosses fingers*

Regardless of what happens...I have to say the level of pride I feel, not only in our athletes, but in Canada as a nation, has never been stronger.  This is a beautiful country and I'm so proud to be living in it!  Though my Dad wasn't born here, I know he loved it too...

So GO TEAM CANADA...GO!