Above painting: Louis Jean Francois - Mars and Venus an Allegory of Peace

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Moon Magic by Eliza Knight


I love poetry, always have. It was one of my favorite subjects in school. I don't profess to be a poet myself, but I do dabble from time to time. When writing HIGHLANDER'S TOUCH, I decided that I wanted try writing a little prelude to the story as a poem. It as a challenge, especially when I chose to do it in Haiku.

But here it is! And I'm pretty proud of it :)

Moon Magic

By
Eliza Knight




When thunder crashes
And lightning illuminates
Magic comes to pass.

Thistles sway, dancing
Purple petals and green stems
So very lovely.

Rain falls in crystal torrents
Sparkling drops on fingertips
Liquid Sustenance.

Black clouds shield the sun
Blankets the world in darkness
Takes away our sight.

The castle climbs high
Battlements touching the sky
Striking fear below.

Warriors come now
Their weapons shined and sharpened
Prepared for vengeance.

We will survive this
Surge of ruthless cruelty
For we are strong, wise.

Loneliness touches
Us all and can break hearts
Leaving us wretched.

Massaging the soul
Flexing your capacity
To accept love’s hold.

Flames burst destroying
Everything in its path
Leaving all tainted.

The evils of men
Devastate the innocent
Leaving destruction.

Do not surrender
To one who strips you, attempts
To watch you bleed dry.

Fear paralyzes
Only those who allow it
Be strong, be steady.

Afraid of being
Broken leaves one hopeless and
The future stark, bleak.

When hope does soar high
So too does joy and pleasure
Fostering courage.

Brave and courageous
Forge ahead leaving the past
And tumbling forward.

Beneath moon magic
Lovers gentle strokes bring bliss
And sweet surrender.

A precious ending
A love that shan’t be broken
By the bonds of time.



READ THE BOOK!  

B&N 

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Sneak Peek at HIGHLANDER'S TOUCH!

I'm so excited today for the release of HIGHLANDER'S TOUCH! The 4th book in the Highland Bound series! I fell in love with Emma and Logan from the first three books, but there was another character who kept speaking to me. He wanted a story of his own--to find love and romance and himself.

Meet Ewan Fraser, sexy Scottish warrior and second in command to Laird Logan Grant at Gealach Castle. And introducing Shona our feisty, independent healer heroine!


Ewan is a bad boy. A naughty warrior with a healthy appetite for lassies and battles. He's got a few demons lurking inside that seem to be tamed when he falls under the care of Shona.

But Shona has a secret, a secret she's not even fully privy to. Ewan makes her dream of things she didn't think she'd ever have, including his steamy kisses.

Here's a little excerpt... A first kiss. My favorite!


Finally finished caring for his wounds, Shona cleaned up the extra linens and medicinal salves. She glanced at her patient and was startled to find that his heavily-lidded blue gaze was fixed upon her.
“Ye’re beautiful.” A genuine smile curled his lips.
“Thank ye,” Shona murmured, heat filling her face.
Goodness, but was the warrior going to flirt with her while he lay injured upon her bed?
“Where am I?”
She flicked her gaze back to him again, noting that he was attempting to sit up, his brow wrinkled and lips turned down. Hands outstretched, she rushed forward and gently pressed him back onto the bed, trying to ignore the strength in his shoulders, despite his current condition.
“Do not move. Ye are safe here,” she soothed.
“Is this your home?” He coughed then grimaced, the movement obviously causing him pain.
“Aye.” She brushed his hair from his forehead. “Ye should lay still else your bandages come unraveled.”
“What is your name?” He touched the bandage wrapped around his forehead and then the ones on his chest.
She watched him, prepared to swipe his hands away if he tried to undo the bindings. “Shona. Yours?”
“Ewan.” His voice was stronger when he said his name.
Confident he’d not try to sit up again. Shona fixed him a soothing tea that would help ease his pain, keep fever at bay and make him sleep. She carried the cup forward and spooned drops into his mouth slowly so that he didn’t choke. He parted his full lips, taking in the drink she offered.
“I’m not a bairn, I can drink on my own,” he grumbled after the fact.
“Aye, I know ye can, Ewan,” she said in a mollifying tone, then guided his hands to grip the cup, though she stayed close in case he needed her help.
As she’d noticed with some of her past charges, they didn’t like to feel as though they’d completely lost all their faculties. What harm would it do allowing him to feel he had some strength left?
She studied him while he drank. His skin was pale, his lips white. He’d lost a lot of blood and the only thing that would bring it back was sleep, her herbal tisanes, and, when he was strong enough, some food.
“Rest well, warrior,” she whispered, taking the cup from him.
But as she backed away from him, he gripped her arm and tugged her forward, his fingers sending a sizzle of something exciting rippling through her.
The cup fell from her hands hitting the floor and she gasped as he pulled harder, making her sprawl over his chest. Lucky for him, at the last minute, she was able to brace herself on either side of his arms so she wouldn’t injure him further. Daft man!
Intent darkening his roving stare, a wicked tendril of heat shot through her, hitting every part of her body that she yearned for him to touch: lips, neck, breasts, thighs… slick sex.
“I’ll rest better once ye kiss me,” he rasped.
Her gaze met his cloudy one. The man was feverish. Mad from his wounds.
“We canna. Ye’re hurt,” she tried to argue, even as she leaned closer.
“What will a kiss do?” he asked.
But Shona wasn’t sure if he, or even she, really understood the depth and breadth of that question. What would a kiss do? So very much.
Shona pressed her lips together, prepared to tell him nay, that they would never kiss, but he didn’t wait for her to respond.
Warm lips brushed over hers. Soft and sweet. And even in their softness, something intense flared inside her. She gasped, and that moment when her mouth opened, he slid his tongue along the seam of her lips and then inside to tease the tip of her own.
“Ewan,” she murmured. “We—”
But the stubborn man didn’t let her finish. His hand threaded through the hair at the back of her head, holding her prisoner as he deepened the kiss, tangling their tongues and not allowing her to speak.
It was beautiful, delicious, so wanton. And she loved every single wicked stroke.
She would have kissed him all night into the next morning if she could.

READ THE BOOK!  

B&N 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! And a bit of history...

Top 'o the morning to ye! And a very happy St. Patrick's Day!


Today, I've been featured on USA Today's HEA Blog where I'm talking a bit about the history behind St. Patrick's Day.

Please join me!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2015/03/16/eliza-knight-highlanders-touch-saint-patricks-day/24855621/


Thursday, March 12, 2015

March 7th thru March 13th


What Happened This Week In History?
 
  • March 7, 1857- Baseball decides 9 innings constitutes an official game
  • March 8, 1817- The New York Stock Exchange is founded
  • March 9, 1562- Kissing in public is banned in Naples and is punishable by death
  • March 10, 1964- The First Ford Mustang is manufactured
  • March 11, 1953- The First Woman Army doctor is commissioned
  • March 12, 1994- Church of England ordains the first 33 women priests
  • March 13, 1984- MTV premiered its weekly "Top 20 Video Countdown" show

Thursday, March 5, 2015

February 28th thru March 6th



What Happened this Week in History?
 
  • February 28, 1759- Pope Clement XIII allows Bible to be translated into various languages
  • March 1, 1941- Nashville, Tennessee becomes the home of the very first FM radio station in the country
  • March 2, 1867- US Congress created the Department of Education
  • March 3, 1923- Time magazine is published for the first time
  • March 4, 1950- Walt Disney's "Cinderella" was released across the United States
  • March 5, 1960- Elvis Presley was honorably discharged from the Army
  • March 6, 1899- Aspirin was patented by German researchers Felix Hoffman and Herman Dreser

Monday, March 2, 2015

Female Spies During the Civil War by Kathleen Bittner Roth


Belle Boyd, a Civil War spy.
Welcome back to History Undressed, guest author and blogger, Kathleen Bittner Roth. She'll be posting here with us every first Tuesday of the month, and I couldn't be more thrilled! 


Female Spies During the Civil War


Female spies have been known throughout the centuries in royal court, eavesdropping on conversations held at balls and in corridors, but did you know that the use of women as spies was commonplace in both England and America during the 19th century? In England, the brunt of spying took place in industry, while in America, the greatest use of female spies took place during the Civil War.
I find this particularly interesting because the Civil War occurred during the morally repressive Victorian era. Every action, dress codes, even education for women were so constricted that even the language back then became repressive – one must never have referred to a table leg or piano leg. Instead, they were called table limbs, or a piano’s limb. Every action a woman took was governed by the repressed Victorian mores, yet this era became a high season for female spies.
While some women took over teaching jobs, farming, and managing shops in the absence of their men gone off to war, some women moved close to the troops in the form of nursing, or raising supplies for the troops. But there were women who supported their country in a far more dangerous manner—they became spies. Many of these brave souls baked messages in bread or pies, and carried them across enemy lines with nary a blink of an eye. All of them carried weapons or spying devices of one kind or another. Had they been caught, they’d have been hanged by the neck until dead.

Belle Boyd was one of these bold spies. She would often show up at her father’s hotel and eavesdrop on Union officers registered there. Bold as they came, she would deliver her information to General Stonewall Jackson himself, moving through Union lines, so close to battle that it’s been said she’d returned more than once with bullet holes in her skirts.  
Scandalous was not even the word for what these women were doing. If found out, they were considered no better than a common prostitute. Some of these women who performed a great service to their country were born into wealthy families, yet after the war, they were shunned by polite society, despite their heroism. 
Some of the spy paraphernalia these valiant women carried was quite clever—as shown below:

Victorian spy camera hidden inside a pocket watch

A ring gun with extra bullets carried in a bullet necklace



A one-shot pocket watch pistol


Take a look at the daggers in this ladies fan!

Kathleen Bittner Roth thrives on creating passionate stories featuring characters who are forced to draw on their strength of spirit to overcome adversity and find unending love. Her own fairy tale wedding in a Scottish castle led her to her current residence in Budapest, Hungary, considered one of Europe’s most romantic cities. However, she still keeps one boot firmly in Texas and the other in her home state of Minnesota. A member of Romance Writers of America®, she was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart® contest. Find Kathleen on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest and www.kathleenbittnerroth.com.
Check out Kathleen's list of books on Amazon!



Thursday, February 26, 2015

February 21st thru February 27th


What Happened this Week in History?
 
  • February 21, 1842- The sewing machine was patented by John J. Greenough
  • February 22, 1751- Edward Willet displayed the first trained monkey act in the US
  • February 23, 1896- The Tootsie Roll was invented
  • February 24, 1821- Mexico gains independence from Spain
  • February 25, 1859- First use of "insanity plea" to prove innocence
  • February 26, 1977- The Eagles' "Hotel California" was released
  • February 27, 1908- Star #46 was added to the US flag for Oklahoma