When I heard Amy Mullen had written a novel set in 12th century England - the same era as my yet to be published Middle Grade fantasy - I was thrilled. Love the cover! Don't you? I suspect Amanda Mathews's handiwork. I'll reveal the covers she designed for my Teen Wytche Saga on July 18. Meanwhile, here's more about A Stormy Knight by Amy Mullen.
A Stormy Knight - By Amy Mullen
Will his
love burn brighter than his need for revenge?
Book Back Blurb:
In twelfth century England,
Gemma de Vere and Nicholas de Reymes find love at a young age. Too naïve to
truly understand what is happening, their fledgling relationship is torn apart
by political games and scheming minds. Nicholas and his family disappear into
the night and Gemma is left with a shattered heart.
Seven years later, Gemma
still harbors a broken heart, and retreats into a life in which she will not be
foolish enough to fall in love again. Mysterious deaths and accidents begin to
plague those living within the walls of Blackstone Castle, and her father falls
ill. She has no choice but to seek the assistance of King Henry.
Help arrives in the form of
her childhood love, the handsome and imposing Nicholas, who is now a fierce and
loyal knight bent on revenge. The pain and anguish he feels over the fate of
his family casts Gemma as his enemy. To him, she represents all the misfortune
in his life as he tries to keep her at arm’s length and far away from his
heart.
Their journey towards truth
is riddled with treachery and danger from an unlikely source. Will they find
their way back to each other, or will his need for revenge outweigh the love he
feels in her arms?
Excerpt:
"You defy me," he said as
he spun around to face her, "and you do it at every opportunity. You have
caused me great pain, and I will have no more of it. You lead my men astray and
cause them to be weak. I cannot be lord with you undermining my authority
within these walls!"
Gemma steadied her voice, her only
option clear, "I shall leave then. I will go to my uncle in Wales. We
shall remain married. There is nothing that can change that, so your hold on
this land is secure. 'Tis all you care for. I once loved it here, but living
with a man who does not know how to trust me is too much to bear."
"You are my wife, like it or
hate it, and you will do as you are told! You will stay out of my way, and you
will not step foot outside of the keep until I say so." His entire body
was tense, his voice harsh.
"Nay," she said while
lifting her chin, "I shall leave. What you do not know, Nicholas de Reymes,
is that I love you."
He froze as she spoke but did not say
anything.
"And because of that love"
she continued, tears falling in earnest, "I can no longer abide this life.
For the second time, loving you has been a mistake. My feelings betray me, and
they anger you. I will be gone before I cause you more pain. I will take Isabel
with me, and my father can come when he is up to travel. All I ask is you treat
him well in my absence."
"You will do no such
thing!" he said. "It makes no sense, and I will not have you telling
me what you are going to do. You are my wife, and you will do as I say. I will
keep you safe, and I cannot do that if you are not here."
"'Tis
not up to you," she said, her voice low, "and you will not stop me. I
love you, but I must be stronger than love. I realize now you feel I am the
cause of all pain here. 'Tis only right I lift the burden and leave so all who
reside here are safe." She abruptly left the room, unable to face him for
a moment longer.
About The Author:
Amy Mullen is a freelance
writer and romance author living in Corning, NY, with her husband, Patrick, two
children, Rayna and Haylen, and an orange cat named Steve. Her first novel is a
medieval romance titled “A Stormy Knight.”
Amy has been writing about
love both lost and regained since she was old enough to have her first broken
heart. Her love of history and her intermittent jaunts into amateur genealogy
led her to a love affair with writing historical fiction. When not writing, she
snaps pictures, enjoys the company of her children, and when time allows, loves
to bury her nose in a good book.
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