Author: Rue Allyn Page 1 of 17

Dearest Readers,

We have more news from our correspondent in that remote seaside village, Fenwick on Sea. You’ll recall last spring when a storm devastated the area, stranding a large number of respected and not so respectable people in this tiny village. Our reporter, braved that storm and the hazards resulting from it to bring you important news of smugglers, pirates, and scandal.

It seems that Fenwick on Sea is once again making headlines. First, we had news of a magical well. Supposedly anyone drinking the waters from this well will find his or her true love. Then a certain Lady B. (a relative of Lord Shermer) disappears from town and is seen in Fenwick on Sea. After which, she returns to town engaged to Mr. Charles Robinson. Did the lady and the gentleman drink the well’s waters?

Next the illustrious and rather wealthy heiress, Miss Arianna Westbrook visits Fenwick. Her mother says to escape the attentions of fortune hunters. What happens to Miss Westbrook? She ends up married to one Thomas Medlock, owner of a salvage company. A Salvage Company? Can you imagine how low the high have fallen when a noble heiress weds a tradesman. One might almost believe the rumor swirling about the well water of Fenwick.

And NOW! Now, we learn that intrepid half-pay Captain C., a hero of the French wars, stopped in this notorious village while investigating suspected profiteers. Men who, during the wars, profited from selling British Army weapons and supplies to the enemy. Our brave Captain C. not only finds the party guilty of profiteering, but also breaks up a smuggling ring, and finds a bride. Is the well at work again?

Perhaps we should have our brave reporter drink the waters as a test? What do you think?

We will keep you all informed of the very interesting events happening in this obscure little village.

With Warm Regards,

Samuel Clemens, Editor in Chief

About What the Heart Knows, Forevers in Fenwick Book Four

A retired army captain investigates a series of crimes that lead directly to the door of a woman he loves. Will fate force him to choose between honor and love?

Home from the wars, Captain Christian Copefort arrives in Fenwick to investigate the local squire on suspicion of smuggling and profiteering. Kit vows to find proof of the gentleman’s shady dealing. Then Kit meets the squire’s lovely daughter. Is she complicit in her father’s criminal activities? What a pity, if she is, for she is the one woman Kit believes he could love.

The allure of Captain Copefort baffles Miss Margaret Fenneman. Modest for a man whose exploits on battlefields are widely known, Kit Copefort is neither bellicose nor conceited. Only charming. Yet, he holds her father in contempt. How can she be attracted to a man who opposes to everything she believes right? She refuses to show any disloyalty to her father. But Kit…and fate may force her to choose.

B2RUBL  https://books2read.com/u/3GBZaL

Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/What-Heart-Knows-Forevers-Fenwick-ebook/dp/B0H8B861S8

About Forevers in Fenwick, A Continuing Series from the Bluestocking Belles.

Ah, Fenwick on Sea! A humble village, somewhat forgotten by time. But not for long if the innkeeper has his way! Rumor of a fae blessing upon his inn is exactly what he needs to draw crowds back to the neglected village. Of course, it’s only talk. Or is it?

Series Buy Link–https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H27Z3MTK

Dearest Readers,

You may recall that we recently remarked on the return of His Grace, Duke of Margris’ return to Britain. The duke brought with him his brother Sir Lucien Flynn.

Flynn fled England several years ago under a cloud of suspicion. He stood accused of the murder of the seventh Lord Hoxbulk. Rumor said Flynn had been conducting a liaison the lord’s young and beautiful wife, although that was never proven.

Upon arrest, Flynn was stripped of his lands and title, and had he stood trial probably would have been hanged. However, he managed to escape and made his way to the Carribean where he took up a life of piracy. Even going so far as to receive a letter of marque as a privateer for the former colonies. He was eventually exonerated of the murder charges when another person confessed.

As tragic and unjust as such a tale may be, Flynn’s other crimes against the crown cannot be ignored. Nonetheless, the Duke of Margris has found the ne’er do well and brought him home. He has somehow also managed to have Flynn’s title and lands restored. All of which this author finds rather underhanded. Were the reputation of the current Duke of Margis not unimpeachable, one might suspect some sort of collusion, or, dare we say, bribery.

Leaping to that conclusion is entirely too easy. In the Duke’s defence, we must suggest that perhaps the generous forgiveness given Sir Lucien Flynn occurred as the thanks of a grateful crown for the duke’s years of honorable service to the crown.

Neither Margris nor Flynn have yet made a significant social appearance, so we can only speculate. Such an appearance may not happen for some time, as both men have recently bee wed and are rumored to be besotted with their brides.

The Tattler awaits events with breath baited. News bearing the details of these unusual event cannot arrive soon enough.

Blurb:  He’s been cursed to remain a specter until he earns the love of a heartless woman. Is she the one?

Privateer or pirate? Lucien Flynn never makes promises to any woman. Then a scorned lover curses him to live the life of a specter. Decades pass, and Luc abandons love. When he meets a woman he cannot resist, a woman with too much heart, he knows he may never be set free. Can he avoid loving her, or will he give her his heart and be cursed forever?

Grace Thibodaux is a woman driven to escape her own demons. Hurt beyond hope of healing, she protects her tender heart, refusing to allow anyone, man or woman, close. However, she can’t escape the man who haunts her dreams and her life. Is he as cursed as he claims, or is she simply falling for another, heart-breaking rogue?

Launch Day March 16, 2026

E-book: Available for pre-order now for the sale price of $2.99 at Amazon–https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G54FPMRY

And Books2Read–https://books2read.com/u/bwpVMO

Price increases March 23, 2026

Print edition: Available Now

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GBBV71HB

About Rue Allyn:  Award winning romance author, Rue Allyn has a life long passion for happy ever after. She lives south of the border with her husband of more than forty years and their cat, Tanto. She has two sons and is a proud veteran of the US Navy. She writes heart melting romance in all sub-genres, but her favorite is historical romance, especially medieval. Subscribe to Rue’s News where you may learn more about Rue and receive a FREE download. https://www.rueallyn.com/subscriber-entered-from-online-profile/

Join Rue’s Daring Damsels

Rue’s facebook group is called Rue Allyn’s Daring Damsels. We gather to party, chat, and spread the word far and wide about great books, mine and other authors. Active members can have a lot of fun, reap rewards and gain prizes, all for free (and a little bit of your FB time). Here’s the link to Rue Allyn’s Daring Damsels. She can’t wait to meet you.

Other places to find Rue Allyn:

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rue-allyn

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rue-Allyn/author/B00AUBF3NI

Dateline, March 1815

Dear Readers,

We are delighted to report that His Grace, the Duke of Margris has returned to our shores. The duke is highly respected. So much so that you can imagine our astonishment at the rather dubious persons he brought with him.

Margris had been dispatched to the port of New Orleans in October of 1814 for the purpose of gaining a cease fire between the colonial army of Mr. Andrew Jackson and the British troops assigned to take possession of the port under the leadership of the late Major General Sir Edward Pakenham. Had Margris succeeded in his mission the Major General might still be with us as he lost his life in a battle over New Orleans

Why, Margis failed to gain the ceasefire will never be known. We might speculate that he suffered no small degree of distraction. First when he learned that his younger brother—that ne’er do well—Lucien Flynn was playing the pirate on behalf of Britain’s enemies.

Even more distracting must have been the young miss—one could hardly call her a lady—with whom the duke dallied. What is most disturbing is not that she is an American, as they like to call themselves, but rather an American Creole. The creole designation indicates that her lineage is mixed, probably among the French, Spanish, and Americans who have long inhabited New Orleans. It is possible, though we cannot say with certainty that she may have ancestors amongst the rebellious Hattian slaves who fled Haiti rather than submit again to French rule.

Regardless of her parentage, the duke’s new wife is said to have been well chaperoned while Margris was courting. That may even be true. After some weeks, he married the lady (one must give a Duchess credit as a lady) and has brought both his bride and his brother back to England.

A Drawing of Lucien Flynn

We, like the ton, are agog with curiosity and await with great expectation the debut of Her Grace, the Duchess of Margris. As for Margris brother, The crown has seen fit to pardon him for any crimes and restore his ancestral property in Ireland. Perhaps the crown did so because he too has wed an American, but a woman of no family. ‘Tis well that he has retired with his bride to the Irish estate. I doubt he or the woman would be well received despite the crown’s forbearance.

We promise to keep you well-informed the moment we learn more of Margris and his relatives.

About the books: His Grace Caleb Margris’ story is told in The Creole Duchess and is where we first meet his half brother, Lucien Flynn. Lucien’s story is told in Cursed: A Corsair’s Tale, which is available now on pre-order at a discounted price. The Creole Duchess is available now. Here are the descriptions and buy links.

About The Creole Duchess:

A duke in disguise, a creole miss determined to get her own way, a curse, and two nations at war, is love even possible?

New Orleans Creole, Miss Celestine St. Cyr-Duval refuses to live under the thumb of some man chosen by her parents. Celie will do everything to keep freedom of choice for herself and others. But fate interferes in the form of a duke disguised as British businessman, Caleb Elmond. A relationship with Caleb would find approval with her mother, but both Celie and Caleb have secrets that put them on opposite sides of a great conflict and could destroy them both.

With the Battle of New Orleans looming, can these two strangers from warring countries compromise and protect each other, or will fear and betrayal end both their lives?

Amazon    Other Retailers

About Cursed: A Corsair’s Tale

He’s been cursed to remain a specter until he earns the love of a heartless woman. Is she the one?

Privateer or pirate? Lucien Flynn never makes promises to any woman. Then a scorned lover curses him to live the life of a specter until he ‘earns the love of a heartless woman.’ Decades pass, and Luc abandons hope. When he meets a woman he cannot resist, a woman with too much heart, he knows he may never be set free. Can he avoid loving her, or will he give her his heart and be cursed forever?

Grace Thibodaux is a woman driven to escape her own demons. Hurt beyond hope of healing, she protects her tender heart, refusing to allow anyone, man or woman, close. However, she can’t escape the man who haunts her dreams and her life. Is he as cursed as he claims, or is she simply falling for another, heart-breaking rogue?

Amazon          Books2Read

About Rue Allyn:

Award winning romance author, Rue Allyn has a life long passion for happy ever after. She lives south of the border with her husband of more than forty years and their cat, Tanto. She has two sons and is a proud veteran of the US Navy. She writes heart melting romance in all sub-genres, but her favorite is historical romance, especially medieval. Subscribe to Rue’s News where you may learn more about Rue and receive a FREE download.

IMAGE CREDIT: AFTERNOON TEA FOR THREE (ALSO KNOWN AS A STIRRING CONVERSATION) BY CHARLES SOULACROIX

Is the Rumored Union of Foes Possible?

Gentle Readers,

Every fall, the entire ton eagerly awaits invitations to Sir Peter Somerville’s annual house party. We all know that only the crème de la crème of society is ever invited to the event. Thus rumors are swirling about this years guest list, and why a number of no so August personages have been included.

It is not difficult to understand why plain Mr. George Froppin received an invitation, although it seems to have arrived several weeks after all the others. Froppin, a member of the Society of Friends, has been advising Sir Somerville on a piece of legislation to be presented at the next parliament. We won’t bore you with legislative details other than to say, it may have something to do with the abolition of slavery—a circumstance dear to the heart of all Quakers, like Froppin.

Much more curious than politically motivated invitations is that of life peer, Lord Sandrow and his daughter, Lady Beatrix. Though he cannot sit to Parliament, the earl is known to oppose nearly every measure of reform. Somerville, on the other hand is in the forefront of many political reform movements. In addition, the Somerville line is nearly as ancient as that of the Duke of Leigh. A life peer, no matter how wealthy, is not a guest with the usual cache of those invited to the Somerville home, Normanton House in Sussex.

I mention the Duke of Leigh and that family’s lineage earlier not simply for comparative puposes, but also because the Duke is a close friend of Sir Somerville and his lady. This year as always the Duke is invited. This circumstance makes the invitation of Sandrow even more odd. Everyone knows of the bad feeling between Sandrow and Leigh. For those few who may have forgotten, the cause of the ill-will was the death of Sandrow’s son in a duel with Leigh’s youngest brother, Lord Fontus Leigh.

Sandrow has been calling for the younger Leigh to be tried and hung for murder. Technically, the king’s ban on dueling would make a resulting death a murder, no matter how fair the fight. Sandrow has nearly as much influence as the Duke. Hence Lord Fontus fled the country nearly three years past.*

Keen observers of London Gentlemen’s clubs will have noted, a few months past, that the Duke of Leigh summoned Lord Sandrow to meet in a private room at Whites. No one knows what was discussed between the two men. However, several letters were exchanged subsequent to that meeting. Then Sandrow received the invitation from Somerville, which included Lady Beatrix Sandrow. Could that invitation have been arranged by Somerville’s friend the duke? If so, for what purpose? An engagement perhaps that might cement a rapprochement between the two families? Might Lady Beatrix soon wear a coronet?

Does the invitation have anything to do with the recent return of Lord Fontus Leigh from his self-imposed exile on the continent? Lord Fontus was seen arriving at Leigh Chase. He remained only one night and departed early the next morning, headed in the general direction of Sussex and Normanton House.

A day later, a message arrived at Normanton House from the Duke of Leigh, tendering his regrets. He could not attend the house party due to urgent business on behalf of the Prince Regent. Our source was able to learn that his grace has sent Lord Fontus to represent the Leigh family in the Duke’s absence.—So perhaps not a coronet for Lady Beatrix. However, even an engagement to one of his grace’s younger brothers would be a feather in the cap of a life peer’s daughter, especially one who has been on the shelf for nearly five years.

We shall have to await news of the house party once it starts to discover how much of this rumored union of foes may be true. Still it is worth noting, with less than two weeks before the Somerville event begins, Lord Fontus Leigh has not yet arrived in Sussex. He has had more than sufficient time to cover the distance between Leigh Chase and Normanton House twice over. What could be causing his delay? Perhaps he is smart enough to realize that marriage to a woman who’s brother he killed might not result in a happy union?

If this rumor is true, this reporter wishes to know, what in the world is His Grace of Leigh thinking?

Until next time, Gentle Readers. I cannot wait to learn what happens at the Somerville House party, can you?

*Readers may wish to review our report about the horrifying event that took place between Lord Fontus and Sandrow’s son, published in this paper in September of 1812. https://bluestockingbelles.net/a-horrifying-event/.

About the Story: Forever & Always – The Secrets of Fontus Leigh, Secret Leigh Series Book One By Rue Allyn, to be published in a Bluestocking Belles & Friends Collection launching in Fall of 2025.

Revealing their secrets could be fatal.

He thought of her day and night. Lord Fontus Leigh secretly wed a stranger to protect her, then she left him with no way to find her. Years later, he is desperate to discover her whereabouts. His family has arranged another match for him, but he already has a wife. Unless the marriage was annulled as she promised.

She never forgot him. Out of options, Lady Deoiridh Aitken narrowly escaped marriage to a cruel fortune hunter by means of wedding a complete stranger. She swore her husband to secrecy before she left, believing everyone would be safer if no one knew where she was. The plan worked perfectly, until now.

Will an old enemy destroy them, or can they overcome all obstacles and make a life together forever and always?

About the Author: Hi, I’m Rue Allyn, and mostly I’m about writing stories, books about heart melting romance. Books about characters and adventures in which love triumphs at the darkest moment. The kind of suspenseful, hopeful, cathartic, romance that melts a reader’s heart.

Join my Daring Damsels Facebook group or subscribe to my newsletter. The Daring Damsels gather on Facebook and spread the word far and wide about great books, mine and other authors. Active members can have a lot of fun, reap rewards and gain prizes, all for free (and a little bit of your FB time). Here’s the link  to Rue Allyn’s Daring Damsels. Or use this link to subscribe to Rue’s News (2 issues every month). Can’t wait to meet you.

Dateline September 1812

Gentle Readers,

We are horrified to learn that the charming and irrepressible Lord Fontus Leigh—youngest brother of His Grace of Leigh—has killed Lord Vincent Doverton in a duel and fled the country. This author has learned that the cause of the duel between these one time friends was a careless remark by Doverton about Lady Blythe Cynearme, Marquessa of Cynedroit, young Leigh’s sister.

Lord Fontus’ challenge to Doverton was inevitable. A man must defend his family’s honor. The resulting death is unfortunate. Several witnesses to the duel all concur that Doverton fired first and missed. Whether intentionally or not is not known. Lord Fontus then took aim, according to witnesses, to the left of where Doverton stood. At the moment Lord Fontus pulled the trigger of his pistol, Doverton—for reasons no one can comprehend—moved into the line of fire. The shot hit him in the temple causing instantaneous death.

The Prince Regent has made clear that dueling is unacceptable and shall be considered murder if a death results. Few men have been prosecuted because the survivors of most duels resulting in a death are charged and hence never brought before a court of law. This is not the case, with the duel between young Lord Leigh and Doverton.

Doverton’s parent, Aloysious Doverton Lord Sandrow, a life peer, refuses to believe the several witnesses to this tragic even. Lord Sandrow has brought charges of murder against Lord Fontus Leigh. As influential as Lord Sandrow is, his impact on society and government pales by comparison with the power wielded by His Grace of Leigh. Thus, one would think that the unfair charges against Lord Fontus Leigh would be dismissed.

Sadly, His Grace washed his hands of his youngest sibling when that gentleman was expelled from University for the fourth time. Young Leigh had no recourse but to flee to the continent—a continent, I need not remind you, that is riddled with war and danger, especially for an Englishman. ‘Tis a sad loss to society of a highly entertaining young man. The antipathy between His Grace and Lord Sandrow amplifies the stress this loss has caused us all.

This author prays that at some future date, Lord Sandrow can be made to see reason, and Lord Fontus will be able to return before he can suffer any harm from England’s enemies.

About the Story: Forever & Always – The Secrets of Fontus Leigh Secret Leigh Series Book One By Rue Allyn, to be published in a Bluestocking Belles & Friends Collection launching in Fall of 2025.

Revealing their serets could be fatal.

He thought of her day and night. Lord Fontus Leigh secretly wed a stranger to protect her, then she left him with no way to find her. Years later, he is desperate to discover her whereabouts. His family has arranged another match for him, but he already has a wife. Unless the marriage was annulled as she promised.

She never forgot him. Out of options, Lady Deoiridh Aitken narrowly escaped marriage to a cruel fortune hunter by means of wedding a complete stranger. She swore her husband to secrecy before she left, believing everyone would be safer if no one knew where she was. The plan worked perfectly fo

Will evil destroy them, or can they overcome all obstacles and make a life together forever and always?

About the Author: Hi, I’m Rue Allyn, and mostly I’m about writing stories, books about heart melting romance. Books about characters and adventures in which love triumphs at the darkest moment. The kind of suspenseful, hopeful, cathartic, romance that melts a reader’s heart.

Join my Daring Damsels Facebook group or subscribe to my newsletter.

The Daring Damsels gather on Facebook and spread the word far and wide about great books, mine and other authors. Active members can have a lot of fun, reap rewards and gain prizes, all for free (and a little bit of your FB time). Here’s the link  to Rue Allyn’s Daring Damsels. Or use this link to subscribe to Rue’s News (2 issues every month). Can’t wait to meet you.