I have the lovely Barbara Bettis on my Medieval Monday blog today!

You'll find my excerpt on her blog here:   http://barbarabettis.blogspot.co.uk
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To catch next week's excerpt, follow me to Mary Morgan's blog:  http://www.marymorganauthor.com

Don't forget to leave a comment each week for a chance to win an ebook copy of The Highlander's Crusader Bride!
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​Barbara's excerpt today is from her book, Silverhawk.

His blood-shot eyes narrowed. He grabbed her chin between his forefinger and thumb and forced up her head. She tried to pull away from the stench of his breath, but he pinched harder. “Don’t do anything else to spoil this arrangement.” His voice grated like rusty steel. “I need the payment Langley made for you. I will not return it.” Garley gave her head a final shake. “Do not interfere in my plans,” he repeated.
                                           * * *
Please leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of SILVERHAWK. And follow along next week at Ruth A. Casie’s blog: https://www.RuthACasie.blogspot.com\
If you would like to read last week’s installment, check out Mary Morgan’s blog:
https://www.marymorganauthor.com/

                 Silverhawk

He’s everything a proper lady should never want; she’s everything a bastard mercenary can never have.
Sir Giles has come to England to kill his father, who seduced and betrayed his mother. First, however, he’ll seek sweet revenge—kidnap the old lord’s new betrothed. But when Giles uncovers a plot against King Richard, he faces a dilemma: take the lady or track the traitors.
What’s a good mercenary to do? Both, of course.
Lady Emelin has had enough. Abandoned in a convent by her brother, she finally has a chance for home and family. Yet now she’s been abducted. Her kidnapper may be the image of her dream knight, but she won’t allow him to spoil this betrothal. Her only solution: escape
Rescuing the intrepid lady—while hunting traitors—is a challenge Giles couldn’t anticipate. But the greatest challenge to Giles and Emelin is the fire blazing between them.

​Buy link: Silverhawk

Today I'm sharing the hop with Barbara Bettis. Her excerpt is from her book, The Lady of the Forest.

You can find my excerpt from The Highlander's Crusader Bride on her blog: http://barbarabettis.blogspot.co.uk
​Don't forget to comment for a chance to win one of my ebooks!

                                           Excerpt:
                               The Lady of the Forest

“Yes?” Kate tried to keep her manner calm, but dread made her voice shake. When Jamie didn’t continue, she prompted, “What about Oscar?”
“They’re going to chop off his fingers. Tomorrow, so’s everyone can watch. He’s to be made a ’zample.”
“An example?”
Jamie nodded. “Maude says as how the lord wants folks to see what’ll happen if they don’t do what he says. Especially ’bout going into the forest. She were cryin’ something awful.”
A wave of nausea hit Kate. She caught her breath in a sharp, “Ah,” and sank onto a stool. His fingers. An especially cruel sentence for a champion archer. She couldn’t allow Oscar to be hurt.
“Let me think for a bit.” She forced confidence into her tone to reassure the lad. “We’ll find a way to help.”

                                          * * *
Follow Barbara's excerpts next week at http://www.jennifletcher.com/. Be sure to leave a comment for a chance at an ebook of your choice.
You'll find me on Elisabeth Hobbes' blog: https://elisabethhobbes.co.uk/ 

                                          * * *
Book Blurb:
When her elderly husband dies, Lady Katherine fakes her own death and disappears into the forest with others escaping the brutish new lord. Determined to protect her people, she knocks the wrong man senseless. But Lord Henry isn’t an enemy, he’s the brother of her childhood friend. Although his tender confidence tempts her, she’s bound by duty.

Henry of Chauvere has found the one lady he wants for his own, never mind she’s tied him hand and foot. When he learns the king has ordered her to wed Stonehill’s ruthless new master, he insists Kate seek haven with his sister. But she won’t desert her friends. Henry vows to solve her problem, provided he catches a traitor before the threat from Kate’s past catches her.

When a daring rescue compels Henry and Kate to join forces, their attraction grows into love. If only duty didn’t drive them apart.

​Buy Link: Amazon: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B01LDJUXK8

This week, Barbara Bettis and I are exchanging snippets from our hero and heroine's first encounters. You can find mine here.

Her snippet is from her book, The Lady of the Forest, a book I think has a bit of a Robin Hood flair :-) 

I hope you enjoy following along! Commenting on the posts enters you in a drawing for an ecopy of each book presented in this section of Medieval Monday!

Excerpt for week #2:

“But you’ll turn him in, won’t you?” His voice hitched.
Her glance took in the prisoner’s face that seemed so familiar. She had no choice. “We must.”
Still looking troubled, Jamie darted out. Young or no, the boy understood the danger they courted. While soldiers combed the area for a stranger, none of her people were safe. But once Sir Mortimer had his hands on the man he wanted, he’d call off his mongrels.
Kate had to believe that.

Book blurb:
BLURB:
He must pursue his enemy; she must protect her people. Can their love survive the duties that drive them apart?
When her elderly husband dies, Lady Katherine fakes her own death and disappears into the forest with others escaping the brutish new lord. Determined to protect her people, she knocks the wrong man senseless. But Lord Henry isn’t an enemy, he’s the brother of her childhood friend. Although his tender confidence tempts her, she’s bound by duty.
Henry of Chauvere has found the one lady he wants for his own, never mind she’s tied him hand and foot. When he learns the king has ordered her to wed Stonehill’s ruthless new master, he insists Kate seek haven with his sister. But she won’t desert her friends. Henry vows to solve her problem, provided he catches a traitor before the threat from Kate's past catches her.
 
When a daring rescue compels Henry and Kate to join forces, their attraction grows into love. If only duty didn’t drive them apart.
 
AMAZON  TWRP
 
Follow along next week for Barbara's next snippet at Nicole Locke’s http://www.nicolelocke.com/     Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win an e-copy of The Lady of the Forest!

And follow me to Elisabeth Hobbes' blog for my next snippet!
Don't forget to enter as often as you like by commenting on all the posts.

 Why I Love Writing Medieval-Barbara  Bettis
 I’m not sure what calls to me so  strongly from the Middle Ages, but  whatever it is, has done so my entire  life. I think it may be rooted in the  stories I devoured when I first started  reading. Myths, folk stories from  different cultures, tales of Knights of the  Round Table, they all captured my  imagination. It was a different,  fascinating world where anything was possible—in theory. Throughout school, history was a favorite subject, and I loved to delve into the events—and lives of the people—of the past.
As I did so, I recognized that the knightly tales of derring do from my childhood were set amidst times of turmoil, deprivation of the many and reward of the few. I usually root for the underdog, so when my studies introduced me to mercenaries and the bad reputation many of them enjoyed (and they probably did enjoy them), I immediately thought, “But they all must not have been bad. What of the ones who fought to better themselves and didn’t practice cruelty?”
Life was not easy for most people. In the eyes of society at that time, bettering oneself usually meant acquiring land. Few folks had the means or opportunity to do so. Later in the Medieval period, landed-society’s restrictions didn’t allow for commoners to aspire to knighthood, except for very limited exceptions. But in the earlier days, it wasn’t all that unusual for a commoner to rise by reason of bravery, strength, and audacity. All but one of my stories have featured such mercenaries who strive to better themselves by acquiring power and land.
All my stories feature strong women, not at all the norm of the period. Yet discoveries tell us there were more strong women than we realize, although most of them were wed or in the church. I imbue my heroines with strength of character given the times in which they lived.
I love creating the stories of strong heroines we women would like to be and of heroes we’d love to live for.
Bio:
Barbara Bettis grew up in the rural Midwest, where reading was a reward for chores well done. So you can bet she did her chores well—and fast. She loved history and English. She’d intended to major in English, but when she arrived at her small, Liberal Arts college, one of the European history professors was on a Rhodes Scholarship. Once she met the English professors, she defected.
Thus, she received her BA in English with a strong minor in history and her Master’s in English. After working as a newspaper reporter and editor, Barb returned to college and taught English and journalism, later earning a doctorate in Higher Education with an emphasis in journalism.
After her husband died, some former students lured her into their critique group, where she began writing fiction. A trip to Scotland and England solidified her love of the Isles (the small tour group set up a ‘Barb’s Castle Alert’ on their train journeys). Her earlier fascination with the Middle Ages led her into her medieval stories, where she’s been roaming around ever since.
Now that she’s retired from teaching, her ambition is to write an angst-ridden, tortured hero set in the High Middle Ages, but somehow her guys end up with inappropriate senses of humor. Perhaps in the future….         www.barbarabettis.blogspot.com

It's week #11 in our blog hop. Today's treat is from The Lady of the Forest by Barbara Bettis.

THE LADY OF THE FOREST, Lord Henry and Lady Katherine’s story, has two villains. One, Sir Mortimer, is armed with a royal command to wed Kate and assume control of her holding. Kate and Henry have searched for ways to challenge the order, but time is running out. Henry finally faces Mortimer the day the ceremony is to take place.

Excerpt:
Henry fought for control. A quick move now could be fatal to Kate. He didn’t much care about his own future if anything happened to her. “Harm her and you die here.”
 
Eyes wide, Kate clasped trembling fists to her throat. Then one hand drifted to her gown’s neckline.
 
Henry edged toward them, and Mortimer swung Kate around before him. Not taking his
eyes from the desperate knight, Henry said, “Is this the way you fought in battles, cowering behind women?”
 
He chanced another step. “Is this how you bested de Mohet? From behind? Like a coward? You took the king’s order from him and what, had it recopied with your name? That’s why the seals are missing, isn’t it?”
 
Follow the action next week by visiting Laurel O’Donnell’s blog: http://www.laurel-odonnell.com/blog.html
 
*****
Blurb:
He must pursue his enemy; she must protect her people. Can their love survive the duties that drive them apart?
When her elderly husband dies, Lady Katherine fakes her own death and disappears into the forest with others escaping the brutish new lord. Determined to protect her people, she knocks the wrong man senseless. But Lord Henry isn't an enemy, he’s the brother of her childhood friend. Although his tender confidence tempts her, she’s bound by duty.
​
Henry of Chauvere has found the one lady he wants for his own, never mind she’s tied him hand and foot. When he learns the king has ordered her to wed Stonehill’s ruthless new master, he insists Kate seek haven with his sister. But she won’t desert her friends. Henry vows to solve her problem, provided he catches a traitor before the threat from Kate's past catches her.
When a daring rescue compels Henry and Kate to join forces, their attraction grows into love. If only duty didn’t drive them apart.

Buy links:   AMAZON        TWRP