The Pirate’s Lady by Tricia Schneider: Excerpt and Giveaway!

One of my favorite things to do is spotlight other authors when they have new work to share. In this case, I am doubly blessed...not only is Tricia Schneider my fellow Wild Rose Press author, she's also a beloved friend. She has been one of the biggest sources of inspiration to me along my writer's road. I'm thrilled to share her newest achievement with you!

Tricia Schneider captured my heart with her Merriweather Witches a long time ago... Recently, she has released a new historical romance. Gorgeous cover, gorgeous story. *hearts* I hope you enjoy the excerpt! (And make sure you enter the giveaway down at the end...)

The Pirate’s Lady by Tricia Schneider

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Publication Date: November 11, 2016

Cover Artist: RJ Morris

ISBN: 978-1-5092-1065-7

ASIN:  B01LZU45G4

Rating: Spicy

Number of pages: 70

Word Count: 16,330

About the Book

Captain Marco Dante was captured and sentenced to hang two years ago, but he escaped before his punishment was carried out. Now he's come back to the woman whose memory kept him alive those long months in prison. Arianne had been his grand passion, but he failed to see how much she meant to him until it was too late. Can he recapture her heart? Or has he lost her forever?

Arianne never imagined she’d see her notorious pirate lover again. Though her heart sings with joy at his return, she knows he hasn't come back for her but for the treasure he left behind. She agrees to help him find it, but can her heart withstand one more adventure with him?

Excerpt

“I have a life here now.”


“There’s nothing for you here. Your place is by my side. In your heart, you know ’tis true.”


She looked away, turning her gaze to the ocean’s waves pounding the beach with hypnotic rhythm. A few moments ago, she sat here, mulling over her life’s misfortunes and attempting to reach a decision about her future.


Her fate.


Arianne shook her head. “I no longer travel your path. You sail without me, my friend.”

She pushed her bare toes into the grainy sand and stood, brushing the remaining sand that clung to her petticoats. In the silence of the crashing waves, she turned and walked away.

Inside, her heart bled. Yet, she deserved no better. Her life led to this heartache. That she walked away from this man now, after all this time only confirmed it.

“Arianne, you’re coming with me.”

His serious tone warned her of his intentions. She spun to face him, unsheathing her sword in time to block his attack. The sound of metal striking metal pierced the moonlit darkness. Her ears rang with the sound.

They stood, neither moving. She stared into his eyes. “You would take me by force?”

“Never by force,” his voice lowered to a growl. “You will come willingly.” And he smiled, that knowing one she hated.

She let out a howl of outrage and swung her sword. He easily blocked. They stepped a deadly dance of striking blades, until again they were trapped by heated gazes.

Her breathing was heavy, labored, filled with excitement. She looked at his lips, wanting to taste them but knowing she dared not. Her will was never strong around him. With one touch she might lose herself and want him again for forever. But that dream would never be achievable with Marco.

With him, she’d always be alone.

“Come with me, Arianne.”

“No.”

She pushed away and again they danced. Her feet moved lightly as she sprang, her petticoats swirling with each movement though she hoped they would not entangle her legs. Her arm swung with lithe movements as she fought. She equaled him with skill and grace. Each time their swords clashed, the noise pierced her soul. That she fought him was a testament to her determination to escape his tyranny over her heart. She could not succumb to him again.


As they battled, a sheen of sweat appeared upon his brow. The exposed skin of his chest glistened in the moonlight. His arms flexed as he swung his sword. His grace, his power, his energy seduced her.


Her heart pounded. Her skin ached to touch his. The heat in her lower regions grew to a fiery inferno.

She trembled.


Again, they locked blades.


They stood a moment, staring. His gaze burned into her soul. She licked the salty sweat from her upper lip, and his eyes followed the movement with utter fascination.


He pushed their swords away. With his free hand, he grabbed her shoulder, pulling her tight against his chest. Arianne tilted her head to look into his eyes. The blue depths called to her, like the ocean’s waves licking at her feet. The yearning to go to him was too great. She hadn’t the will to fight.

 Goodreads / Amazon / The Wild Rose Press /

Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

About the Author:

Tricia Schneider is an author of historical, paranormal and gothic romance. Before the supernatural took possession of her pen, she worked for several years as Assistant Manager and bookseller at Waldenbooks. After the store closed, she turned to writing fiction full-time. She has written both short stories and full-length novels published by The Wild Rose Press, including her newest book, The Pirate's Lady, and her historical paranormal romance series, The Merriweather Witches. Tricia is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives in the Pennsylvania coal region with her musician husband, their 4 young children and 3 rescued cats.

Website / Blog

Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Pinterest

Tour Giveaway!

Enter for a Chance to Win a

$20.00 Amazon eGift Card

&

a Pirate Treasure Chest Trinket Box

RAFFLECOPTER

Let THE WITCH'S KISS Spellbind You...new #paranormalromance from @TriciaSchneider

Paranormal Romance Author

Tricia Schneider continues

the saga of the Meriwether witches

in her brand new release...

The Witch's Kiss!

 

 

Blurb:
Marianne Grey is a ghost. But, she's not dead. Cursed by a necromancer, Marianne searches for the elusive spell needed to merge her spirit with her physical body. She's not alone in her search. Her neighbor and best friend, Sage Merriweather, has vowed to help her break the curse.

Sage suffers from his own demons. Literally. After surviving a horrific attack, a demon has bonded with him, mutating Sage's magic so he can only conjure fire. Until he can break the bond, he is a danger to everyone near him, including those he loves.

From the glittering ballrooms of London to eerily dark graveyards, Marianne and Sage battle forces of evil destined to claim their souls for eternity. Though their newfound love for each other may be the toughest battle of all.


Excerpt:

“Do you ever wonder why I never propositioned you?” Sage asked, the anger in his soul making him lash out. “I’ve been with many women. They call me the Merriweather Rake, did you know?” He laughed at the absurd moniker the ton had dubbed him. “Yet you are the only one I’ve never seduced.”

She flinched.

He thought the pain spreading across her face would make him feel just in his cause. He needed to push her away. From the look on her face, he succeeded. Instead of the satisfaction he thought it might bring, he felt only pain.

Pain from her sadness, her suffering.

“You are a good man, Sage,” she said with a slight tremor in her voice, the only sign she was affected by his cruel words.

“Do not fool yourself.”

She stood and walked away.

The lavender scent faded. Sage rubbed a hand over his eyes, trying to block the image of her sadness from his mind.

Had he done the right thing?

This curse confined Marianne to a select few. Essentially, she was forced to speak with him, spend time with him, even just for the pure sake of her sanity. What choice did she have when no one else could hear or see her?

Marianne was not to blame for the fact that Sage’s feelings regarding her were changing, that when he looked at her he saw not a child with gangly limbs, but a woman full-grown. One who had become a close friend. And that he desired their friendship to grow into something much more…intimate.

Was he a fool to punish her for his own misgivings?

Sage heaved a heavy sigh, then slapped the surface of the water since he had nothing else nearby to strike. The water sloshed over the rim.

Since the bathwater had cooled and any therapeutic effects it might once have owned vanished, he stepped out of the tub. After he dried and dressed, he went out in search of Marianne to make his apologies. He couldn’t push her away. Instead, he needed to restrain his own growing emotions. No need to burden her with any more troubles. Who else could she speak with other than him? Only Julia. He could not imagine the invisible prison she suffered. He’d not make it worse for her.

He wandered the hallways, searching each room until he found her.

Well, in a manner of speaking.

He thought to check the yellow room in the east wing, hoping she might have retreated there to lick any wounds he had inflicted.

Although her body was in the room, her spirit was nowhere to be found.

He approached the bed where they had neatly laid her body. To the untrained observer, Marianne could be sleeping. Her chest rose and fell, indicating she breathed still. A rosy color kept her cheeks pink with life. He reached out and took her limp hand in his, feeling the warmth of her skin.

She was no corpse. Merely sleeping. A deep, deep sleep. And she could not wake without her soul.

About the Author:

Tricia Schneider is an author of paranormal and gothic romance. Before the supernatural took possession of her pen, she worked for several years in a Waldenbooks store as Assistant Manager and bookseller. Since the closing of the bookstore, she now writes full-time while raising her 3 young children. She lives with her musician husband and 2 neurotic cats in the coal country of Pennsylvania.

Website: http://www.triciaschneider.com
Blog: http://www.shadowsofromance.blogspot.com
Twitter: @TriciaSchneider
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authortriciaschneider
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/triciaschneider
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/triciaschneider

The Witch's Kiss is available today!

 I woke up to find my shiny pre-ordered copy waiting for me :)

You can get your own at...
 The Wild Rose Press        Amazon

Other Information:
SubGenre(s): Regency, Gothic, Paranormal
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Imprint: Black Rose
Length: Rosebud
Rating: Spicy (PG13)
Page Count: 208
Word Count: 49640
Keywords: romance, paranormal, historical, witches, witchcraft, demon, ghost, necromancer, magic, spells, Regency, England
Digital Price: $3.99
Print Price: $13.99
Release Date: February 18, 2015
ISBN Digital: 978-1-62830-751-1
ISBN Print: 978-1-62830-750-4
Series: Book 4 of The Merriweather Witches

Coming soon...Will you surrender to The Witch's Kiss?

Coming soon from Wild Rose Press... The latest story about the Meriwether witches!

I'm thrilled to share a look at an upcoming release by my friend and fellow Wild Rose Press author, Tricia Schneider. She's a locally-grown paranormal romance author who writes lush regency paranormal romances. We even share the same TWRP editor (hi, Callie!)

Recently, we attended the Family Reading Festival in Pottsville. Here's a shot of us hugging each other's books...

Feeling the love? We are!

She's just waiting on a release date for her newest love story, but I can't wait that long to show you this gorgeous cover. (We share TWRP cover artists, too, lol.) Here it is...

 

The Witch's Kiss

By Tricia Schneider

 

 

 

Marianne Grey is a ghost. But, she's not dead.

 

Cursed by a necromancer, Marianne searches for the elusive spell needed to merge her spirit with her physical body. She's not alone in her search. Her neighbor and best friend, Sage Merriweather, has vowed to help her break the curse.

 

Sage suffers from his own demons. Literally. After surviving a horrific attack, a demon has bonded with him, mutating Sage's magic so he can only conjure fire. Until he can break the bond, he is a danger to everyone near him, including those he loves.

 

From the glittering ballrooms of London to eerily dark graveyards, Marianne and Sage battle forces of evil destined to claim their souls for eternity. Though their newfound love for each other may be the toughest battle of all.

 

Also by Tricia Schneider... 

 

 

Website – http://www.triciaschneider.com

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/authortriciaschneider

Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/triciaschneider

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/triciaschneider

 

Please join me in congratulating Tricia on her latest achievement!

 

 

The Music That Moves The Pen: Author Tricia Schneider (Free Kindle Days)

Readers of this blog may be familiar with paranormal romance author Tricia Schneider because she's cool enough to visit whenever she has good news to share. (She's also one of the hosts of the Very Paranormal Holidays blog hop, which you can enter here).

 

Today starts free Kindle days for Tricia Schneider's newest release, The Witch's Thief (Wild Rose Press).

 

To celebrate her newest story, she's brought us an extra special treat: a guest post about her musical muses! I rather commend her on her choice of music; she's got suburb taste. (*grin*) And it explains one of the reasons why we get along so well...

 

Songs, Sirens, and Story-Telling

Tricia Schneider

A guest post by Tricia Schneider

 

I have three children ages 3, 6, and 7. Needless to say, I have a very noisy household. My writing time has had to become flexible over the years as I became a mother and my babies grew. Each stage brings new challenges and rewards. But one thing has stayed the same throughout. They are always noisy! Especially my boys. They wrestle, they chase each other, they fight, they laugh. They don't even play hide and seek quietly. I can hear them giggling as they try to hide. As much as it makes me crazy and happy at the same time, the noise doesn't help my writing. It's just a distraction. One more among many distractions for a writer to overcome.

I used to write after my noise-makers would go to bed at night, but I didn't last long myself by that time. After a full day, I'm usually exhausted by nightfall. I might be able to stay up and watch a favorite TV show or two with my husband but most times I'm asleep before the end (except with The Walking Dead, there's no way I can fall asleep during that show!). So, writing at night rarely works for me anymore.

Now, I write in the mornings. In fact, I wrote The Witch's Thief during the early morning hours. My kids will either play or watch morning cartoons while I sit in the kitchen and write. But, the noise still bothers me. So I wear earphones and listen to music while I write. The music drowns out the yelling and laughter of my children when they play, and it muffles the sound of the TV on those days they choose to watch something with obnoxiously catchy tunes that I find myself singing for no reason later on in the day.

I listen to a variety of music, sometimes depending on my mood or  at times depending on the scene that I'm about to write.

Here's a list of what I keep close by for my writing days:

Peter Steele of TON

Type O Negative, A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails, Audioslave, David Bowie, Annie Lennox and Enya. Even though most of these have lyrics, their voices often lull me into a kind of hypnosis that helps me get into that writing zone that I crave each day. And the music is usually dark and moody, very emotional stuff that spurs my creativity since I write mainly paranormal romance with a touch of gothic mood throughout.

Movie Soundtracks and Scores are another favorite for those days when I'm just not in the mood to listen to lyrics:

The Lord of the Rings, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Sherlock Holmes, The Last of the Mohicans, Underworld, Resident Evil, and Bram Stoker's Dracula. More dark and moody themes that spark emotion within me. Just listening to these songs makes me want to write!

And then I have a collection of classical music that I enjoy listening to. Mostly it's Mozart and Bach, but I do have several others that I sometimes find useful.

I can tell you while I wrote The Witch's Thief, I always started out listening to Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses album. Black No.1 and Summer Breeze are my favorite songs on that one and were guaranteed to pull me deep into my writing. There's something very hypnotic about the singer Peter Steele's voice. It's like he used some sort of spell to sing like a siren luring listeners into a dark and dreamy world. Sadly, our world is darker without him. He passed away in 2010. I have all of Type O's albums and thankfully I never get tired of listening to them.

My husband is a bass player and vocalist in a local band (in Pennsylvania) called Mystagen. He has a deep sexy singing voice that I find equally hypnotic. On the album they released a few years ago, the song Soul Steal is my absolute favorite. Lots of emotion in that song, too. Of course, in most cases, I used to write while listening to them practice. No need for headphones then!

The Witch's Thief is being offered

FREE on Kindle from December 17-21.

Hurry over and grab your copy!

Blurb:

To save her sister’s life, Julia Grey seeks a spell hidden somewhere within Merriweather Manor. Her position as a lady's companion affords her the freedom to search the house. But time is running out. The necromancer she's bargained with is growing impatient. And an unexpected appearance of a man from her past makes matters worse in an already complicated situation.

Basil Merriweather returns to England after ten years abroad to discover his childhood sweetheart living in his home. But, he's no longer the carefree man of his youth and she's hiding something--deadly secrets Basil vows to uncover even as he hides a dark secret of his own.

While neither Basil nor Julia will trust in the other, their hearts speak a truer language.  In a grand attempt to save Julia's sister and Basil's life, the two must finally confess sinister truths. Will their admissions help or hinder any future they may have together? Or will the necromancer destroy all in a vile attempt at revenge.

Excerpt:

"What are you doing?" 

He ignored her frantic questioning. Instead, he blocked out the sound of her voice and raised his arms into the air at his sides, his fingers splayed out as he extended his senses to scan the area. His power eased out, like extensions of his fingertips, stretching into the corners of the room, seeking, searching for the source of the magic he sensed. 

It was here...somewhere. 

He had sensed it earlier on his arrival, but being that his aunt and siblings practiced magic on a regular basis he'd never given it a second thought. 

This room, however, stank with it. He smelled the odor, something strangely like sulfur... 

"A spell has been cast in this room," he muttered. A strange spell. Odd. A spell he'd never sensed before, something new. It felt off is some way he couldn't explain. Who would be working new magic of this kind in his home? And, in this room in particular. Aunt Petunia worked her spells in the privacy of her rooms upstairs, or sometimes in the gardens, but never in this room. And his siblings each, practiced in their own private settings, places where they could concentrate without the threat of being disturbed. A fairly difficult task with the number of people normally in residence at Merriweather Manor. 

He took a step closer to the center of the room where he sensed a surge of power. He shivered as coldness seeped into his skin. It wrapped around his arm, sinking into his flesh, right down to the bone. This was not right. 

The magic in his house was always full of warmth and gentleness. Goodness and love. This magic chilled him to the bone. His heart skipped a beat. There was fear, terror, pain. This spell was full of darkness.

About the author:

Tricia Schneider is a paranormal and gothic romance author. She worked as an Assistant Manager at a bookstore for several years. Now she writes full-time while raising her 3 young children in the coal region of Pennsylvania. For more information about her books visit:

Website: http://www.triciaschneider.com

Blog: http://www.shadowsofromance.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authortriciaschneider

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/triciaschneider

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/triciaschneider

To buy her books:

The Wild Rose Press:

Amazon:

 

Very Paranormal Holidays Blog Hop: December 15-30

Wishing you Very Paranormal Holidays...

So glad to join my good friend Tricia Schneider in another great paranormal blog hop!

Authors Kallysten and Tricia Schneider organized this Very Paranormal Holidays Blog Hop to share their love for paranormal romance, help you discover new authors, win books, prizes... and maybe a brand new Kindle Fire! Be sure to fill out the entry form at the end of this post... and good luck!

This holiday I am especially excited--I'll be unveiling the cover of the latest Demimonde book WOLF'S BANE in a few days. This cover is rockin' and well it should, since one of the Weres is pretty rockin' himself. (I can't keep the grin off my face just mentioning him.) Hope you'll join me on Dec. 20th when we unveil the cover...

Until then, I'll keep busy re-watching episodes of NBC's Dracula. Although the title character is the guy to watch (JRM is a favorite actor of mine, even when he portrays awful men), I find the most compelling character in the series to be Renfield.

Yes, I said Renfield.

I've come across a lot of Renfields in my time. Remember the creepy bug eater from Gary Oldman's version? YECK. Just--yeck.

Much more amusing was Xander's unwilling assumption of the role in the Buffy TVS episode. (Season 5 Episode 1) Xander was pretty much an awesome Renfield and, until this year, had held the coveted place of honor as BEST RENFIELD EVER.

But, alas. Xander has been dislodged from his lofty perch by the newest Renfield, because this particular incarnation is simply perfection.

Unlike Dracula's previous day walkers, the new Renfield is noble, devoted, and completely loyal to Dracula... by choice. Recently, I watched the episode of Renfield's origin story and found out there was even more reason to adore the guy.

Remember how Xander tried to fight the vampire's compulsion? Hysterical, really. But our new day walker isn't bespelled--he chooses to serve, because Dracula saved him from a fatal beating. Rennie's fealty was born out of gratitude.

See, Rennie was a lawyer--a cunning and shrewd man who can size up the chess board and spot the strongest piece. Small wonder he speaks up and provides key financial information that would benefit Alexander Grayson (Dracula's human alias)-- he could tell the strongest player was Mr. Grayson, and took a chance to align himself with him.

It earned him a solid clubbing from the men trying to foil Grayson. Broken, bleeding, and staring down a bullet, Renfield watched Grayson massacre every last man in the room. Dracula took Rennie to safety, thus earning his gratitude and unfaltering loyalty forever.

That was the element that had kept me from truly resonating with the Renfield character all these years--free will. I'm not big on slavery and I really don't like the idea of being forced to do something that I don't want. There was always an element of coercion involved in the character, until now.

And I think it adds a definite spin on Dracula's character, as well. He didn't force Renfield's hand, or his mind, or his spirit. He earned Renfield's service. Makes Dracula all the more compelling, I think. He is bewitching through his actions, his cunning, and his persuasion--not through a magic force that humans can't ignore. (Plus, he's got those JRM eyes. Never hurts.)

What about you--are you a fan of Dracula? What do you think about his day walker, Renfield?

Comment to win... just fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter a gift card and ebook giveaway!

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ENJOY THE HOP... FIND MORE STOPS HERE


AND DON'T FORGET
to enter the big giveaway!

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Hot Paranormal Nights Blog Hop

 

Welcome to my stop on the

Hot Paranormal Nights Blog Hop!

I'm thrilled to join my good friend Tricia Schneider on a fun and sexy summer reading venture. Who better to accompany on a blog hop like this than the author of the Merriweather Witches series, herself?
 

 

In fact, it was Tricia and her books who inspired me to approach The Wild Rose Press with a story of my own. Lucky for me, senior editor Callie Lynn Wolfe loved the story as much as I did. "Strangers at the Hell Gate" is a Wild Rose Press July 2013 release.

 

About Stranger at the Hell Gate: When a charming Seraph knocks on half-demon Jagger’s door, he doesn’t expect her to be anything more than a vulnerable woman in need of shelter. Sonya, however, isn’t just another pretty angel. She’s an unexpected ally in his war against Hell, his brother…and himself.

Find it at The Wild Rose Press!

 

YOU CAN WIN a gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press just by leaving comment on this post.

 

Have you enjoyed a Hot paranormal story lately?

 

Let us know the title and the author, as well as a little about why you liked it so much. (We like teasers *grin* )

Share the love and let us all know who we should be reading next!

 

Winner will be announced at the end of the hop,

which goes until July 30, 2013.

Good luck and thanks for hopping!

 

(Be sure to check out the other giveaways that are going on by clicking the tabs at the top of the page.)

SEE WHO ELSE IS HOPPING...more books to discover, more chances to win!

 



Tricia Schneider: Final Blog Tour Stop for Bleeding Hearts!

Wow...that makes me kinda sad...the LAST book tour spot. I can't believe it's over.


I'm happy, though, because it means I get to spend the day hanging out with my friend Tricia Schneider at her blog, Shadows of Romance. If the tour has to end, let it end with fireworks!

I met Tricia in the place where all lasting friendships are forged: at the mall. :) Actually, we were both working at the mall, although she definitely had the cooler job because she worked at Waldenbooks. I can't believe the store actually closed--there are no big bookstores left in our county so, unless you know of a great privately-owned bookstore, you have to drive almost an HOUR. I know that Amazon is just a website away, but it's just not the same. And so, we drive...


Tricia Schneider is an author of paranormal and gothic romance. Before the supernatural took possession of her pen, she worked for several years in a Waldenbooks store as Assistant Manager and bookseller. Since the closing of her beloved bookstore, she now writes full-time while raising her 3 young children. When she’s not writing romance, she’s busy researching all things paranormal, as well as the many fascinating time periods in history (just so she’s prepared in case she ever has the opportunity to travel back in time!). She lives with her musician husband and 2 neurotic cats in the coal country of Pennsylvania. And she’s a dedicated chocoholic.

Thank you, Tricia, for helping me end this tour the right way--with someone I genuinely call my friend. Writing is a solitary effort...but it doesn't have to be lonely. :)



Be sure to check out the other fantastic writers and bloggers who are so generous in their support of my first novel launch. Don't forget to enter the mini-contests on each day's blog stop and, of course,THE END-OF-TOUR GIVEAWAY! Time is running out to get your karma in!