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"Believe in happy endings..."
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Regency Romance Coming Soon from
Wild Rose Press: When her parents and only brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin. Desperate to save her family from debtor's prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret.
Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he'd thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true.
After yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer's attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger to her heart.
Excerpt from "The Stranger She Married", copyright Donna Hatch, 2008:
As Cole looked down into Alicia Palmer's face, he had no doubt she would be worth any risk. Something about her sweet, unspoiled temperament touched him in a place he thought long dead.
A younger man approached Miss Palmer wearing a grin. When his gaze moved to Cole, he paled.
Cole frowned. He knew that young man from somewhere.
The younger man's face went from white to red. "You!"
Miss Palmer gasped. "Robert, what . . . ?"
Robert. Of course. Robert Palmer. From London. Cold dread trickled across Cole's heart as he considered the ramifications. He nodded stiffly. "Mr. Palmer."
"What are you doing here?" Palmer's face twisted in fury.
From some inner reservoir, Cole regained his cool demeanor. "Dancing. And you?"
Palmer took Alicia's arm. "Come with me, Lissie. We need to talk."
"Now see here–" Cole began but Palmer pinned him with a dangerous glare.
"Stay away from my cousin. Haven't you done enough?"
"Robert Palmer, what has gotten into you?" Miss Palmer cried.
"Your cousin?" Cole looked from him to Miss Palmer and understanding dawned.
He cursed under his breath. He hadn't been aware his former foe, Armand Palmer, had a sister. Not that he'd bothered to find out.
Palmer shot Cole a venomous glare and took Alicia by the arm. Anger rolled off his body as he led her out of the room.
Wanting desperately to somehow explain, Cole followed them into the foyer, away from the others.
Miss Palmer dug in her heels and glanced apologetically toward Cole and then glared at her cousin. "Robert, what is the matter with you?"
Cole remained rooted to the floor and waited for the condemning stare she would surely turn upon him.
Palmer trembled in rage. "That's Cole Amesbury."
"Yes, I know." She looked back at Cole again, clearly puzzled.
Palmer spoke quietly, but Cole heard every word. "He's the man who shot your twin brother." |
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