RWA/NYC Celebrates Historical Romance.
Medieval Times. Regency. Victorian. WW II. Jazz
Age, 50s, etc.
Visit us daily for excerpts from our members’ historical
novels.
Happy Reading!
BENEATH SLEEPLESS STARS
By Elizabeth Cole
SUMMARY: A lady haunted by nightmares, a duke chased by death, and an answer
hidden in the night sky…
Insomnia and a passion
for astronomy keep Lady Violet Holloway awake all night. She’s content to
remain alone with her telescopes and treatises, until an unexpected marriage
proposal changes everything. Though she’s never met him, Violet is handed off
to a lord whose name is only mentioned in whispers. Alexander Kenyon is the Duke of
Dunmere...better known as the Duke of Death, after losing three wives under
unusual circumstances. He’s learned his lesson about the dangers of falling in
love, so this marriage is purely for convenience. He has no time for a bride
anyway, no matter how intriguing she is. As an agent of the Zodiac, he is
tasked with solving a string of perplexing murders hinting at a political
conspiracy. As the stars spin overhead,
the date of the next murder draws near. Violet and Alex must work together to
stop it, or risk losing the life they’ve found together.
BENEATH SLEEPLESS
STARS is the fifth novel in the Secrets
of the Zodiac, a series of full-length historical romances: Featuring
sexy storylines, complex characters, and international intrigue, set against
the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.
“What do you think of
this one?”
Alexander Kenyon, the
seventh Duke of Dunmere, braced himself as his uncle pushed a small portrait
toward him from across the vast desk of his study. The miniature portrayed a
young woman from the waist up, sitting demurely in front of a woodland scene.
The subject was pleasant enough, Alex thought. Ash brown hair framed delicate
features, and brown eyes gazed placidly at him. If the artist was honest, she
was a slip of a thing.
“Who is she?” Alex
asked.
Uncle Herbert checked a
small notebook he was holding. “Lady Violet Holloway. Good family, though not
nearly so wealthy as in previous generations. Impeccable bloodline,
though. By all accounts a perfect lady. Most importantly, the Holloway women
are known to be fearsomely good breeders. Twins as often as not.” His
uncle nodded significantly.
Alex sighed. Of course.
The fact that he was now thirty-four with not a single heir was clearly
weighing on his family’s minds. His heirless, childless state was not for
lack of trying. Now Alex needed to marry
again. His uncle Herbert Kenyon took on the duty of sorting through potential
brides to suggest. It was not an enviable task.
There were few
eligible ladies who actually possessed all the qualifications necessary to
be considered as the next duchess of Dunmere. The obvious choices—the daughters
or sisters of other dukes, and earls, and viscounts—were assessed and
discarded one by one. Many were too old or too young. Even more were already
promised to others. Several had scandals attached to their names. Of the
small number of ladies who somehow managed to cross all those hurdles, none
were willing to marry him specifically. They knew better.
Alex’s bad luck in
brides was now infamous.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elizabeth
Cole is an author of historical romance. She can be found hanging around
museums, coffeeshops, and graveyards…but not after dark. She is a full-time
writer now, but before that she worked in bookshops, libraries, archives, or
anywhere there were books to be read and cared for. When not writing, she reads with her book
club or watches extremely bad movies—the kind with more explosions than acting.
Just a bit of a nerd, she also loves board games and tabletop RPGs. She will
not divulge how many dice might be in her house at this moment. Visit her at:
Book info page: http://elizabethcole.co/beneath-sleepless-stars/
Twittter: https://twitter.com/coleheartedgirl
Web: elizabethcole.co
REMEMBER TO COME BACK
TOMORROW
FOR ANOTHER HISTORICAL
ROMANCE EXCERPT.
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