Pat Dale's Country Roast

At the 'other' Blog which I run with Sharon Donovan and Mary Ricksen, we have a rare guest today -a male romance writer!

Come join Romance Author Pat Dale at

http://authorroastandtoast.blogspot.com/

Monday's Word: Brotch

One of the most idyllic places to set your romatic novel would surely be a thatched cottage - which brings me nicely to today's word, 'brotch'.

According to *Michael Quinion, in his 'Word Wide Words, the 'yealms', or individual bundles of straw that are laid onto a roof in the thatching process, are
'fixed in place by hazel sticks called brotches, a
word that was once commonly spelled "broach" or "broche" and which could mean a pointed device of several kinds. It's the same word as "brooch" for the ornamental pin.

Now who wouldn't want to spend a romantic weekend in a cottage like this? I'm not sure I'd even be thinking about how the roof was constructed.:)

*World Wide Words is copyright (c) Michael Quinion 2011. All rights
reserved. The original article is at the Words website  at http://www.worldwidewords.org





'STARQUEST' * 'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)    Also available on Kindle
'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH 

Festival of Romance

I'm SO excited because I'm going to my very first Festival HERE:

 The Festival will run on the 21st and 22nd October and I'm looking forward to learning a lot, and to meeting some fellow authors - and hopefully meeting some readers too!

From now until the 5th of August I'm one of the AUTHORS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

 The site addy is HERE :

http://festivalofromanceonline.ning.com/

And you'll find the link to my Spotlight there.  Leave a comment and I'll put you in the draw to win a copy of 'DANCING WITH FATE'

'*STARQUEST'    '*CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITHE DEATH

*Also available on Amazon

Come and join fellowUK author Paula Martin at the Savoy Hotel, to celebrate the release of her book 'His Leading Lady'.


http://authorroastandtoast.blogspot.com/










 'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH

The Moon in Habock's Mirror

I'm thrilled to welcome Kara Bartley to my Blog as one of the stages on her blog toiur.. We share a love of animals, especially horses.  

Kara, I love the name of your horse, Dapplynn, not to mention those of your three cats!

Ok to business, let's find out a bit more about you and your latest release 'The Moon in Habock's Mirror.'

Kara Bartley has always been interested in animals, so it comes as no surprise that her world is surrounded by them in both her life and imagination. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biology/Earth Science, a post-graduate diploma in Geographic Information Systems and a master’s degree in Vertebrate Paleontology.

 In the spring of 2002, she began writing her first novel The Siamese Mummy while on a dig for fossils in Kansas. The book was later released in 2006.

Kara is also the author of The Unearthlings and Call of Adhara. She lives in Niagara Falls with her three Siamese cats—Apollo, Achilles and Agamemnon. Her horse Dapplynn is her biggest companion, and anxiously awaits the day that she too will have a guest appearance in one of her mother’s books.

You can visit Kara at http://karabartley.blogspot.com 

THE MOON IN HABOCK’S MIRROR, follows the life of Scarlett Cavanaugh, a golden-hearted but reckless fifteen-year-old. Although born with a hole in her heart, she has learned to live life without limits—in contrast to her twin sister, Gwendolyn. A few weeks before the girls’ sweet sixteenth birthday party, Scarlett is punished after breaking curfew with a school boy. In lieu of a weekend with friends, she is instead banished to the attic in her house, to clean. It is there that Scarlett discovers a mysterious diary, a mirror with secrets, and a pet’s unnatural mother tongue.

A newly-acquainted friend named Habock, leads Scarlett into the future through an unsuspecting portal. In his attempt to show how her life has changed, they accidentally become trapped in another time and their journey soon diverges. With a little guidance from a celestial spirit, each learns the truth about the past as they both encounter new friends and enemies along the way. In the hopes of finding one another, Scarlett and Habock instead become part of a deceptive plot, devised by those who wish to destroy their family lines.

A jumble of truth, deceit, fear and illusion, we watch as Habock and Scarlett take us on their rollercoaster adventure.

Read the Excerpt! 

I knew the doctor’s visits were for my heart but then I realized that I hadn’t been given all the information. My parents were hiding something from me.

One day, I learned what that was. It was the night they told me about the severity of my condition.

“Scarlett, sit down,” my father said one summer night. “Your mom and I need to tell you something.”

“Scarlett—that’s such a pretty name, don’t you think?” my mom said.

I nodded. “I love my name. Why? What did I do this time?”

“You did nothing, sweetie,” she smiled at me. “Now, do you know why we named you that?”

I didn’t have an answer for her so I shook my head.

“Well, honey, it seemed fitting for you.”

“But not Gweny?” I asked, innocently.

“Well, although you two are twins, you are different in certain ways. And you my little Scarlett, have something that makes you very special.” She paused, looked over at my dad and then continued. “You know that scar that you have over your heart?” she pointed to my chest.

“Uh huh.”

“It’s something you’ve had since you were a baby. And it’s time we told you how you got it.”

She went on to explain the trials of surgery I experienced to correct this imperfection. And God bless her, never once did she describe my condition as a flaw or defect. This information was not meant to weaken me but rather waken me to the seriousness of my state of being. It was a smart move—informing me of my situation. Unfortunately, I didn’t want to believe them. The only part of the story I liked, was how my surgical scar was reflected in my name. And it’s what eventually led me to accept my condition over time. This name was derived from inside of me. How cool was that?!

I found it empowering if anything.

Gwen had a scar too but the story behind hers wasn’t nearly as exciting. She stopped the path of a soccer ball with her head one day at practise and ended up with a cut above her left eye. My scar and I had aged together but because Gweny had to live with hers on her face, I figured that I had to cut her a little slack.

With time, I began to understand the compassion others showed me. Especially my sister, Gwen. She was always there for me. And I needed her a lot. We were the closest of sisters and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Looking over at her now, I smiled. There she was—snoring away the night. On the floor laid our sergeant dog, licking the still air with his giant tongue. And perched now in front of the moonlit window, trying to catch a glimpse of his reflection, was our strange little feline.

What a weird family, I thought.

Little did I know, that it was about to get a whole lot weirder…

 PURCHASE

More links:

http://theivoryowl.com/ 

http://www.niagarathisweek.com/community/life/article/971994--from-dino-hunter-to-author

http://karabartley.blogspot.com/2011/05/release-of-moon-in-habocks-mirror.html

Brinda Berry - Guest Post, 'The Waiting Booth and a Contest

It's my great pleasure today to welcome fellow author and dog lover, Brinda Berry.

Welcome to my blog, Brinda, have a glass of something blue, delicious and bubbly (totally harmless and calorie free)

Brinda's debut Young Adult novel 'THE WAITING BOOTH' was released on 15th July, details to follow later in this post.  In the meantime, I'll leave it to Brinda to tell us about another of my personal interests - caves! Over to you, Brinda.

The Fountain of Inspiration

I've often been asked, "How do you think of a new story?" It's not an easy question to answer. Inspiration comes from many sources for most writers.  Some writers dream up tales totally outside their personal experience.  Others may use an occurrence from daily life to expand upon creatively.


My imagination runs wild constantly. I will see an interesting person or situation and wonder about the details. I ask myself, "What if..." This overactive analysis running rampant in my brain occurred just this week. I took my parents and a visiting uncle on a day trip.  We had planned to travel to a state park and cave during the afternoon. As plans usually go, we were running behind schedule.

Instead of driving several hours to perhaps miss the last tour of the day through a well-known cave, I decided at the last second to change the plan. I saw a rather large billboard sign for a cave tour. I immediately pulled the car over and said, "Change of plan. Let's do this one instead!"

Trusting souls that they are, my parents and uncle agreed to the new plan, and we were off.  The ticket station for the cave tour was located a couple of miles from the highway. We paid cash for the tickets and waited for the tour to begin. There was no sign-in sheet or appointment book. Within fifteen minutes, a tour guide with two tourists exited the mouth of the cave, and we were next. 

The tour guide was friendly enough and handed us small flashlights to carry into the cave. This should have been our first clue about what to expect.

Inside the entrance of the  cave, there were a few lights strategically placed along the way.  The lighting decreased the further we traveled. The passages were extremely narrow, and I was last in the group.  I periodically flashed my small light behind me to ensure that I didn't have someone or something behind me. This caused me to nearly hit my head on an overhang every ten feet.

Mr. Tour Guide entertained us with stories while pointing out interesting features along the walls and ceiling. I dutifully pointed my camera and took photos while hoping that I captured something. Anything. My digital camera view screen displayed only a black rectangle. At one point mid-cave tour, we saw a small rowboat tethered in a cove. We were told it was used for the longer, wilder tour. He said there was "swimming involved". I replied, "You're kidding."  He answered with a straight face, "No."

Frequently during the one-hour tour, I imagined the ease of killing us.  We were undocumented guests. I had meant to text my sister to let her know the change of plans.  My parents and uncle are older and therefore less physically able to ward off a madman. My mom wore some idiotic slip-on shoes that made running nearly impossible. The tour guide mentioned the death of his mother whereon my overactive mind produced a Hitchcock scene from Psycho. He showed us the spot where he discovered some human bones.  There were nooks and crannies for hiding bodies EVERYWHERE.

At the point when I thought I might internally combust from stress, I realized the tour was over. We had returned to the mouth of the cave for exiting. Returning my flashlight, I happily thanked the guide and wished him a great day. I had survived. Now my husband wants to see it and do the longer tour (involving the boat and swimming).  I imagine that I'll survive that one, too. Maybe, I'll even write a story about it.

Phew, that's some story, Brinda, and quite scary.  As I said, I am fascinated by caves myself, and have used them as part of the settings in a couple of my own books. I also have vivid memories of visiting Dan Yr Ogof caves in Wales, very beautiful with stalagmites and stalagtites, and I can still remember how cold it was.

Anyway, we've kept the readers waiting long enough, lets hear all about your Debut YA novel, released on 15th July:  THE WAITING BOOTH!

BLURB: 

Mia Taylor's older brother has been missing for over a year, and someone knows the truth. When Mia's science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way. Regulus and Arizona are two agents from the IIA on a mission to save this world from viral contamination. The mysterious Regulus intrigues Mia with his aloof nature and secretive manner. But for Mia, it's bad timing for a crush. When Regulus reveals the secrets that he knows about her, Mia's not sure what his motives really are.

EXCERPT

“Hi, Mr. Taylor. Mia here?” Austin entered without waiting to be invited in. My dad stepped aside and looked up at me expectantly as I was taking the last few steps. I hoped that Austin wouldn’t breathe a word about what was on the pictures. I sure didn’t want my dad to be paranoid about leaving me alone during the week while he worked out of town. “Dad, Austin’s helping me with my science project. Come on up.” My dad had always liked Austin. If he ever found out that Austin had hit on me, that would change in a heartbeat. For crying out loud, I even thought about Austin like he was a brother. That he’d tried to kiss me sent the ick factor into the stratosphere. We bounded up the stairs as quickly as possible without alerting my dad to some urgency in the air. I closed the door behind Austin and proceeded to move my computer mouse to bring the screen back in view. Austin looked at the picture as he sat at my desk chair. “And this was the one at the end of your driveway?” “Yeah,” I answered, hoping he would tell me he knew the guy, and he wasn’t some ax murderer roaming my woods. “Pretty good pic,” Austin muttered. He clicked to zoom in on the face. “Still…it’s hard to make him out.” “Do you recognize him or not?” “Nope. Can’t say I know him. It’s not like I know everybody. It’s a big school. And he might not even be a college student. I can barely tell anything about the second person.” Austin clicked the forward and back buttons in the photo software program. “Why are they only in one frame?” “I guess they’re really fast. I have the timer set to take a picture every six seconds after motion activation.” He nodded. “Let’s go down and take a gander. Maybe they dropped something. Or maybe we can figure out why they were down there.” Austin led the way out of my room while I covertly studied him. If I tried to forget that he was like a brother to me, I could see that he was good-looking. He was a little on the lanky side, and that made him look younger to most people. His dark hair always hung into his eyes, which made him seem a little derelict. His new sword tattoo covered about two inches of his right forearm. I had tried to talk him out of it, but he had grinned and said that I’d want one exactly like it. He looked back at me as I stood there and smiled a I just caught you checking me out grin. I wasn’t really looking at him like that, but I felt myself blush and quickly found something else to focus on as I followed him out the door. We left the house and took Austin’s car to the waiting booth. He drove an old black Jeep that was still minus the shell since the weather was warm enough. We jumped out to examine the area. On the same side of the drive as the wooden structure, saplings tangled with briars and brush as far as the eye could see. In the years before I was able to drive myself to school, my dad had kept the area fairly clean and bare with the aid of a tractor. Now, this area had become overgrown and weedy. In the middle of the stalks of high grass, a circle of flattened brush marked where the people in the photo had been standing. “Holy cow, you’d really have to be dragging something heavy to make this dent in the ground.” I gasped, suspecting that the marks were new and the people in the photo had created them. Austin walked around the flattened circle. “This is too weird. See how the grass swirls in a pattern? Maybe that dude had set something down here.” “He wasn’t dragging anything in the picture. Maybe I need to look at it again.” I estimated the diameter of the circle to be about five feet across. I caught my breath as I felt a reverberating tickle pluck my spine like a tightly wound cello string. Avoiding the circle, I walked into the brush past it to see if I could find more evidence of the intruders. Nothing. The weather had been fairly dry with no rain this month, but I bent to look for footprints. I started feeling silly, because even if I found footprints, I wouldn’t be able to tell anything from them. I shivered, trying to rid myself of the willies.

Publisher: Etopia Press
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal


PURCHASE LINKS AND MORE INFO from:
  
ETOPIA


AMAZON kindle

BARNES& NOBLE

BIO:

Brinda Berry lives in the southern US with her family and two spunky cairn terriers. She has a BSE in English and French and a MEd in Learning Systems Technology. She's terribly fond of chocolate, coffee, and books that take her away from reality.  She doesn't mind being called a geek or “crazy dog lady”. When she's not working the day job or writing a novel, she's guilty of surfing the internet for no good reason. 

She can be found at:

www.brindaberry.com
www.twitter.com/brin145
www.Facebook.com/BrindaBerryAuthor

and finally - Brinda wants to tell you about her

CONTEST!

Want to have some fun? Follow me on my summer blog tour. I'm celebrating the  release of The Waiting Booth with some prizes. Readers can win multiple prizes and enter at each blog stop.  I'll be adding some more tour dates and places soon!

Here are the rules: 

• I'll be giving away an ebook at each tour stop. You may enter at each site by leaving a comment on my guest post. Unless noted by the blog/site owner, selection will be made within seven days of the day I visit.
• The first five commenters at each stop will win a romance trading card. Aren't collecting them yet? They are absolutely cool.
• If you like me on Facebook, tweet my site, or subscribe to my blog, I'll add your name in additional times for connecting with me (up to 3). You must let me know in the comments about your tweet, Facebook like, and/or blog subscription. 
• There's a grand prize at the end of the blog tour, August 30th.  I'll put all the commenters from the stops in random.org for selection of the winner for the grand prize. Grand prize is a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.
  
• Winners may be listed at the site I visit if the blog/site owner chooses. Winners of all prizes will be listed on my blog.

DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES SKY'S NOT ABLE TO GET TO A COMPUTER FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK, SO I'LL POSTPONE THE PRIZE AWARD UNTIL SHE'S ABLE TO BE UP AND RUNNING AGAIN. I'LL MAKE SURE TO ENTER THE NAMES OF EVERYONE WHO COMMENTED ON MY POST, SO NO-ONE WILL LOSE OUT.


I thought I'd skip the 'Monday's Word' this week because I'm featured at Sky Purington's great Blog
HERE

Sky is so good at promoting other writers and I'd love it if you spare a moment to pop over to her blog and visit us - I'm also offering a couple of downloads of 'Dancing With Fate' to two commentors.

'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH' 

  Also available on Kindle

Fun and frolics - and a giveaway.

Join us at the pool for a celebration party for Roseanne Dowell and  her latest releases, Leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of one of her books.

http://authorroastandtoast.blogspot.com/
'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH'

                  Also available on Kindle

Giveaway and Guest post for Melissa McClone's new release - Not So Perfect Princess

HL: It's a pleasure to welcome back today Melissa Mcclone, who is here to  tell us all about her latest release and how she researched it. Over to you, Melissa. (Don't forget to leave a comment for Melissa  to be in with a chance to win her prize.)

MM: Thanks for having me on your blog today. It's so nice to be back! You asked about one of my favorite topics—research. I love doing research for a story. It's one of the best parts of being a writer!

The question you posed was: "I'd love to know how you do your research for a story like this—or do you have experience of sailing yourself."

I know how to sail, but haven't been out on a boat in many years. I'm married to a sailor though, so getting started I figured he would be my go-to-guy for help when I needed it.

As I plotted Not-So-Perfect Princess, I remembered the text from the sailing lessons I took in the San Francisco Bay Area. I checked my bookshelf, and there it was! I was so happy I kept it all these years. As I skimmed pages, memories surfaced of fun afternoons after work learning to sail with the wind on my face.

With my memory refreshed and the glossary handy, I surfed the Internet to learn about Mediterranean sailing and regattas. An important subplot of this story involves racing. I do take artistic license in my stories, but I also want to make things as plausible as possible. That included the sailing. I read as much as I could on-line about racing teams, everything from casual team blogs to websites on the teams in the America Cup. The bios helped me figure out who would be on my hero's crew.

I have to admit I was concerned about writing the racing scenes. You see, I'd only competed once in a sailing race, and it wasn't a good experience.

As I mentioned above, my husband is a sailor. He learned to sail as a child and competed on his college's sailing team. After graduation, he became a sail maker and raced on the east coast. When he moved to San Francisco (where we met), he crewed on a boat moored in San Francisco. While we dated, we would go out for leisure sails. But his passion was racing.

One Friday evening, the boat's owner invited his girlfriend and I to crew with him and my-then-boyfriend during a practice race. I was so excited. I didn't have a clue what racing would be like. I'd seen Wind, but that was a big race in a movie and this was just a practice race. I figured we wouldn't have wine and cheese like our usual sails, but it would still be fun and easygoing.

Wrong!

The guys—okay, my guy—barked orders like Captain Bligh. Forget about this being "practice." I ended up with a broken thumb because I couldn't tail the line fast enough. So not fun! But I didn't hold it against him for too long. We went sailing in Grenada on our honeymoon, but I never have raced again. Nor do I plan on it. Still I enjoyed writing the racing scenes in Not-So-Perfect Princess.

My husband was a huge help. It was so cute how he would qualify his answers to my questions by saying he hadn't raced this kind of boat, then offer me great suggestions. Before, he'd always been in the background with his assistance (cooking, driving kids, laundry) when it came to my writing, but we had fun working on the sailing parts together. Thanks to him, the research for Not-So-Perfect Princess was smooth sailing!

 Thank you Melissa - I love hearing about the way other authors research their books and what a romantic way to enjoy a honeymoon!

While the Princess was sleeping…

Dutiful Princess Julianna has a secret—she’s actually happiest makeup free, sailing with the sea breeze in her hair. Her attraction to rebel prince Alejandro is instant—but her intended is his brother, the proper but dull Enrique!

For the first time, Julianna’s irresistibly tempted. Before long, she’s spending her nights sailing with gorgeous Alejandro while the rest of the palace believes she’s sleeping. Soon she’ll have to choose—remain the perfect princess, or follow her heart and stop sleepwalking her way through life.…

EXCERPT:

Lying in bed, Alejandro Cierzo de Amanecer heard a noise outside his room at the beachfront villa. The stray kitten he’d found at the boatyard must want something. He opened his eyes to see sunlight streaming in through the brand-new floor-to-ceiling windows. Most likely breakfast.

The bedroom door burst wide-open. Heavy boots sounded against the recently replaced terra-cotta tile floor.

Not again.

Alejandro grimaced, but didn’t move. He knew the routine.

A squad of royal guards dressed in blue and gold uniforms surrounded his bed. At least they hadn’t drawn their weapons this time.

Not that he would call another intrusion progress.

“What does he want now?” Alejandro asked.

The captain of the guard, Sergio Mendoza, looked as stoic as ever, but older with gray hair at his temples. “King Dario requests your presence at the palace, Your Highness.”

Alejandro raked his hand through his hair in frustration. “My father never requests anything.”

Sergio’s facial expression didn’t change. He’d only shown emotion once, when Alejandro had been late bringing Sergio’s youngest daughter home from a date when they were teenagers. In spite of the security detail accompanying them, Alejandro had feared for his life due to the anger in the captain’s eyes. 

“The king orders you to come with us now, sir,” Sergio said.

Alejandro didn’t understand why his father wanted to see him. No one at the palace listened to what Alejandro said. He might not want to be part of the monarchy, but he wasn’t about to abandon his country.

He’d founded his business here and suggested economic innovations, including developing their tourist trade. But his ideas clashed with those of his father and brother who were more old-fashioned and traditional in their thinking.

A high-pitched squeak sounded. The scraggly black kitten with four white paws clawed his way up the sheet onto the bed. The thing had been a nuisance these past two weeks with the work at the boatyard and renovations here at the villa.

“I need to get dressed before I go anywhere,” Alejandro said.

“We’ll wait while you dress, sir.” Sergio’s words did nothing to loosen Alejandro’s tense shoulder muscles. “The king wants no delay in your arrival.”

Alejandro clenched his teeth. He wanted to tell the loyal captain to leave, but the guards would use force to get him to do what they wanted. He was tired of fighting that battle. “I need privacy.”

Sergio ordered the soldiers out of the room, but he remained standing by the bed. “I’ll wait on the other side of the door, sir. Guards are stationed beneath each window.”

Alejandro rolled his eyes. His father still saw him as a rebellious teenager. “I’m thirty years old, not seventeen.”

Sergio didn’t say anything. No doubt the captain remembered some of Alejandro’s earlier…escapades.

“Tell me where you think I would run to, Captain?” Alejandro lay in bed covered with a sheet. “My business is here. I own properties. My father’s lackeys follow me wherever I go.”

“They are your security detail, sir,” Sergio said. “You must be protected. You’re the second in line for the throne.”

 “Don’t remind me,” Alejandro muttered.

“Many would give everything to be in your position.”

Not if they knew what went with being the “spare” entailed. No one cared what he thought. Even when he tried to help the island, no one supported him. He’d had to do everything on his own. Alejandro hated being a prince. He’d been educated in the United States. He didn’t want to participate in an outdated form of government where too much power rested with one individual. But he wanted to see his country prosper.

“Guard the door if you must.” Alejandro gave the kitten a pat. “I won’t make your job any more difficult for you than it is.”

Image: http://www.copyright-free-photos.org.uk/

As soon as Sergio left, Alejandro slid out of bed and showered. His father hadn’t requested formal dress so khaki shorts, a navy T-shirt and a pair of boat shoes would do.

Twenty minutes later, Alejandro entered the palace’s reception room. His older brother rose from the damask-covered settee.

Enrique looked like a younger version of their father with his short hairstyle, tailored designer suit, starched dress shirt, silk tie and polished leather shoes. It was too bad his brother acted like their father, also.

“This had better be important, Enrique,” Alejandro said.

“It is.” His brother’s lips curved into a smug smile. “I’m getting married.”

About time. Enrique’s wedding would be the first step toward Alejandro’s freedom from the monarchy. The birth of a nephew or niece to take his place as second in line for the throne would be the next big step. “Congratulations, bro. I hope it’s a short engagement. Don’t waste any time getting your bride pregnant.”

Enrique smirked. “That’s the plan.”

“Why wait until the wedding? Start now.”

He laughed. “King Alaric would demand my head if I did that. He’s old-fashioned about certain things. Especially his daughter’s virginity.”

“Alaric.” Alejandro had heard the name. It took a second to realize where. “You’re marrying a princess from Aliestle?”

“Not a princess. The princess.” Enrique sounded excited. No wonder. Aliestle was a small kingdom in the Alps. With an abundance of natural resources, the country’s treasury was vast, a hundred times that of La Isla de la Aurora. “King Alaric has four sons and one daughter.”

“Father must be pleased.”

“He’s giddy over the amount of Julianna’s dowry and the economic advantages aligning with Aliestle will bring us. Fortunately for me, the princess is as beautiful as she is rich. A bit of an ice princess from what I hear, but I’ll warm her up.”

“If you need lessons—”

“I may not have your reputation with the ladies, but I shall manage fine on my own.”

“I hope the two of you are happy together.” Alejandro meant the words. A happy union would mean more heirs. The further Alejandro dropped in the line of succession, the better. He couldn’t wait to be able to focus his attention on building his business and attracting more investors to turn the island’s sluggish economy around.

“You are to be the best man.”

A statement of fact or a request? “Mingling with aristocracy is hazardous to my health.”

“You will move home until the wedding.”

A demand. Anger flared. “Enrique—”

“The royal family will show a united front during the engagement period. Your days will be free unless official events are scheduled. You’ll be expected to attend all dinners and evening functions. You must also be present when the princess and her party arrive today.”

Alejandro cursed. “You sound exactly like him.”

“They are father’s words, not mine.” Rare compassion filled Enrique’s eyes. “But I would like you to be my best man. You’re my favorite brother.”

“I’m your only brother.”

Enrique laughed. “All the more reason for you to stand at my side. Father will compensate you for any inconvenience.”

Alejandro’s entire life was a damn inconvenience. Besides, he would never be able to get the one thing he wanted from his father. “I don’t want his money.”

“You never have, but when Father offers you payment, take it. You can put the money into your boats, buy another villa, donate it to charity or give it away on the streets,” Enrique advised. “You’ve earned this, Alejandro. Don’t let pride get in the way again.”

He wasn’t about to go there. “All I want is to be left alone.”

“As soon as Julianna and I have children, you will no longer be needed around here. If you do your part to ensure the wedding occurs, Father has promised to let you live your own life.”

Finally. “Did you ask for this or did father offer?”

“It was a combination, but be assured of father keeping his word.”

“When am I to move back?”

“After lunch.”

Alejandro cursed again. He had a boatyard to run, investment properties to oversee and the Med Cup to prepare for. Not to mention the kitten who expected to be fed. “I have a life. Responsibilities.”

“You have responsibilities here. Ones you ignore while you play with your boats,” Enrique chided.

Seething, Alejandro tried to keep his tone even. “I’m not playing. I’m working. If you’d see the upcoming Med Cup race as an opportunity to promote—”

“If you want to build the island’s reputation, then support this royal wedding. It’ll do much more for the economy than your expensive ideas to improve the island’s nightlife, build flashy resorts and attract the sailing crowd with a little regatta.”

“The Med Cup is a big deal. It’ll—”

“Whatever.” Enrique brushed Alejandro aside as if he were a bothersome gnat. Like father, like son. “Do what you must to be here after lunch or father will send you away on a diplomatic mission.”

The words were like a punch to Alejandro’s solar plexus. Not unexpected given the way his father and brother operated sometimes. The threat would be carried out, too. That meant Alejandro had to do as told to secure his future. His freedom. “I’ll be back before your princess arrives.”

But he would be doing a few things his way.

Once the black sheep, always the black sheep.

And let’s face it, Alejandro didn’t mind the title at all.



About Melissa:

Melissa McClone writes for Harlequin Romance. 
She graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, but quit her job to write romance novels. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three children, four cats and a dog named Chaos.

Visit Melissa Here: http://www.melissamcclone.com

Purchase 'Not-So-Perfect-Princess' HERE

What an intriguing excerpt! Thank you so much, Melissa.

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