Flight of the Raven (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book One) is a Kindle Unlimited pick #romance #ku
top of page
  • N. N. Light
    • Nov 14, 2023
    • 5 min read

Flight of the Raven (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book One) is a Kindle Unlimited pick #romance #ku



Title: Flight of the Raven (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book One)

 

Author: Judith Sterling

 

Genre: historical romance

 

Book Blurb:

 

How eager would the bridegroom be if he knew he could never bed the bride?Lady Emma of Ravenwood Keep is prepared to give Sir William l’Orage land, wealth, and her hand in marriage. But her virginity? Not unless he loves her. The curse that claimed her mother is clear: unless a Ravenwood heir is conceived in love, the mother will die in childbirth. Emma is determined to dodge the curse. Then William arrives, brandishing raw sensuality which dares her to explore her own.William the Storm isn’t a man to be gainsaid. He’ll give her protection, loyalty, and as much tenderness as he can muster. But malignant memories quell the mere thought of love. To him, the curse is codswallop. He plans a seduction to breach Emma’s fears and raze her objections. What follows is a test of wills and an affirmation of the power of love.

 

Excerpt:

 

          Toasts abounded, and the music soared. Yet Emma’s gaze kept straying to the gold ring on her finger. ʼTwas tangible proof she was a married woman, the property of William l’Orage. Soon, in the bedchamber they would share, she’d discover exactly what that meant.

 

          She shuddered. Would he understand her predicament? He might laugh. He might even force her to betray her sense of self-preservation. ʼTwas his right, and she’d said the words: “to be bonny and buxom in bed and at board.” The board she could handle; bed was another matter.

 

          Still, there were moments during the ceremony when he seemed softer somehow. When she entered the chapel, the look in his eyes stole her breath. It implied approval, pride.

 

          And desire.

 

          Again, she shivered. Calm yourself. Have courage. She twisted her wedding band and looked to the high, vaulted ceiling. For what? Help? There was none.

 

          “Cold again?” The low, rich timber of her husband’s voice was seductive and becoming all too familiar.

 

          She dropped her hands into her lap and cast a cautious glance his way. “Not especially.”

 

          A pox on the man! He looked sinfully handsome today. It made him unduly appealing and far more dangerous. His eyes glittered like the dark jewels on his belt.

 

          His belt! God save me from what lies below it. She squirmed in her high-backed chair.

 

          “You’ll be warmer once we withdraw to our chamber,” he said.

 

          She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Oh?”

 

          “I told Tilda to have a fire waiting, and plenty of warm wine.”

 

          “Oh.”

 

          “Is that all you can say?”

 

          “What more do you require?”

 

          “If not words, how about a smile?”

 

          “I’ve smiled overmuch at our guests. My cheeks are numb.”

 

          His grin was sensual by nature and mischievous by design. “Have you no enthusiasm for the coming festivities?”

 

          She stifled a grimace. “Festivities. Is that what you call them? If you want a festive night, you’d do better to invite jugglers and mummers to prance about the chamber.”

 

          His black eyes smoldered. “No, my bride. You and I will devise our own entertainment.”

 

          The power of speech deserted her. Yet she kept her composure during the toasts and as the people cheered the bride and groom for the last time. Then William rose to his feet.

 

          The dreaded moment had come. In a daze, she stood. Her eyes sought Meg, but the older woman was deep in conversation with Wulfstan and didn’t notice.

 

          William guided Emma away from the table and out of the boisterous, oblivious hall. Once they were beyond observation, she pulled her hand from his arm and used her veil as an excuse to occupy her hands elsewhere.

 

          She climbed the spiral, stone stairs as slowly as she dared, delaying the moment when the bedchamber door would close behind them. The stairwell torches were ablaze with flames that eagerly licked the shafts of wood. Behind her, William’s footsteps seemed as loud as thunder.

 

          At the top of the stairs, the large, oak door stood wide open. There was no one inside the chamber, not a single soul to grant her one last pardon. Tilda had turned down the bed, and it loomed in the shadows, waiting.

 

          On shaky legs, Emma crossed the rush-strewn floor. She stopped in front of the massive, arched fireplace and studied the inferno roaring inside. Behind her, the door closed with a thud, and the bolt slid to with a scrape of finality. She heard and felt each crunching step as William came up behind her.

 

          “My lady,” he murmured. “My wife.”

 

          She couldn’t face him. “Aye.” Her voice cracked. The fire looked wild, hungry.

 

          “Would you like some wine?” His breath warmed the side of her neck, and his lips sealed the tender flesh with a kiss.

 

          “Wine.” She spun around. His eyes blazed hotter than the fire. “Wine would be nice.”

 

          He hesitated, then smiled. “Then wine you shall have.” In two strides, he reached the table where it waited. He grabbed the pitcher, poured dark liquid into one of two silver cups, and offered it to her.

 

          Her fingers brushed his as she took the cup. She thanked him with a closed-mouth smile and took a sip of wine. The heady mixture of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves tickled her tongue. The liquid warmed and soothed her throat.

 

          “Good?” he said.

 

          She nodded and sipped again.

 

          He grinned. “Perhaps ʼtwill loosen your tongue.”

 

          “Perhaps.”

 

          His grin deepened. “Though it has had no effect yet.”

 

          Hours of nervous tension crystallized. “I’ve better use for my tongue than to prattle the night away.”

 

          “Really?” He stepped closer. “Would you care to demonstrate?”

 

Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):

 

Besides being free through KU, the book is on sale for 99 cents on Amazon:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


What makes your featured book a must-read?

 

It transports the reader to medieval England and highlights the magic and power of love.

 

Giveaway –

 

Enter to win a $40 Amazon gift card:


 

Open Internationally.


Runs November 7 – November 16, 2023.

 

Winner will be drawn on November 17, 2023.

 


Author Biography:

 

Judith Sterling is an award-winning author whose love of history and passion for the paranormal infuse everything she writes. Through gothic paranormal mystery (The Gothic Gwyn Mysteries), medieval/time travel romance (The Novels of Ravenwood) and young adult paranormal fantasy (the Guardians of Erin series), she loves to whisk readers away from their troubles and remind them of the hidden magic all around us.

 

Her nonfiction books, written under Judith Marshall, have been translated into multiple languages. She has an MA in linguistics and a BA in history, with a minor in British Studies. Born in that sauna called Florida, she craved cooler climes, and once the travel bug bit, she lived in England, Scotland, Sweden, Wisconsin, Virginia, and on the island of Nantucket. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and their identical twin sons.

 

Social Media Links:

 

Tags:

bottom of page