NBTM VBT: For This Knight Only

For This Knight Only

by Barbara Bettis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Historical Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

He’ll do anything for land, even marry her; she’ll do anything for her people, except marry him.  If only either had a choice.  It’s a marriage only love can save.

Sir Roark will do anything to gain land, even beguile an unwilling lady into marriage. He knows she’s much better off with a man to take control of her besieged castle, to say nothing of her desirable person. But it isn’t long before he discovers that, although her eyes sparkle like sunlight on sea waves, her stubbornness alone could have defeated Saladin.  

Lady Alyss is determined to hold her family’s castle, protect her people, and preserve her freedom— until her brother’s dying wish binds her to a stranger. Still, she’ll allow no rugged, over-confident, appealing knight to usurp her authority, even if she must wed him. Especially since he thinks a lady’s duties begin and end with directing servants. Alyss has a few surprises for her new all-too-tempting lord.

But when a common enemy threatens everything, Roark and Alyss face a startling revelation. Without love, neither land nor freedom matters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

“Pardon?” Alyss’s voice came in a whisper, but he seemed to hear well enough.

“I said your brother wished us to wed.”

The sound of a million crickets chirruped in her ears. His lips continued to move, but she heard nothing. Of a sudden, her bottom hit stone as she collapsed onto a step, but her eyes saw only him.  

He loomed over her, hands propped on hips, dark hair brushing those broad shoulders. She raised her brows in a level gaze—and inhaled sharply. Hazel eyes, sprinkled with green and gold 

chips, gleamed back. With effort, she recalled his recent words and her thoughts focused. 

She shot to her feet. “You must be mad. I have no intention of wedding a stranger who appears at my gate with some imaginary story of my brother’s last commands. I remind you, sir, you are a guest. In fact, I must ask you to leave. Your behavior is intolerable.”

His big hands closed around her shoulders. They were warm. Firm but gentle. She shook them off. He leaned in.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, my lady,” he murmured.

AMAZON

About the Author Links:

Award-winning author Barbara Bettis has always loved history and English. As a college freshman, she considered becoming an archeologist until she realized there likely would be bugs and snakes involved. And math. Through careers as a newspaper reporter and editor, then a college journalism and English professor, she’s retained her fascination with history. Give her a research book and a pot of tea, and she’s happy for hours. But what really makes her smile is working on a new story. Now retired, she lives in Missouri where she edits for others and spins her own tales of heroines to die for—and heroes to live for. 

Guest Post:

If you weren’t an author, what other career paths would you have taken?

I often joke that I would have been an archeologist if it weren’t for bugs and snakes—and having to know math.

But that’s not really a joke.  I have always been absolutely fascinated with other times, other places, other peoples. With history and how people lived and what they thought, how they acted. I loved studying about information derived about those early cultures. I loved history. So archeology was a natural.

One early interest lay in Greek mythology and drama and the exciting way present day scholars located history and habits of the people through myths and plays. I was thrilled to study the different layers archeologists uncovered at a site identified as (possibly/probably Troy.) And to learn that one layer evidenced destruction consistent with that related in The Iliad. And… but I’ll stop there.

Then to find one of my professors did his doctoral studies in Egyptology. Now, his lectures were mesmerizing.

Those two civilizations were far from the only fascinating ones. In Ancient Britain…all right, I’ll jump ahead to the high Middle Ages where I’ve set my Knights of Destiny series in which For This Knight Only plays a major part. I love telling the stories of heroes and heroines who struggled and succeeded in those difficult times.

Yes. I would definitely have loved the career of archeology or perhaps anthropology. Trouble is, and I have to be honest with you, I probably didn’t have the patience required to spend years carefully brushing away particles of dirt and sand to make sure my dig didn’t destroy an essential clue about the civilization. 

I wanted to immerse myself in what the meticulous, patient, devoted archeologist uncovered. I wanted to immerse myself in the stories of the people. What were they like? What did they feel? How did they live?

So, obviously, my best bet was to focus on the stories my imagination came up with, and leave the bugs, and snakes, and sand to the professionals who were patient enough to do what I couldn’t.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to that until after I retired, first from a career in journalism, then from full-time teaching of college English and journalism. I loved those careers. I loved the people I met and whose stories I told as a journalist. I loved the students whose talents I did my best to encourage as a teacher.

And now I love writing my stories. Of people in earlier times. Of men and women who lived far differently than we do now, but whose hopes and dreams were the same as ours. And the best thing about being a historical romance novelist is that every story has a good ending. So tomorrow, as archeologists investigate an old castle, they’ll know that whatever else might be found, at least some folks might have had their happily ever afters.

Goodreads

Facebook

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC

Rafflecopter