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A Naughty Visit to the British Museum

Dear Readers,

This rather titillating story was recently received by your faithful publisher:

On a day filled with cloudy drizzle, Lady G and Lady A strolled through the imposing gates of Montagu House, the grand but fading Baroque mansion that housed the British Museum. Once inside, the scents of old stone, polish, and vellum clung to the high-ceilinged corridors. A liveried attendant took Lady G’s letter of admission, glancing over it before nodding them through.

They made straight for the Egyptian hall—in truth, if it could be called a hall, for it was little more than a wide room lined with relics. They perused the dark and impressive Rosetta Stone, fascinated by the nearly four-foot-tall slab of black granodiorite etched with three distinct scripts.

“Onward!” Lady A said after a few minutes. “I must see what all this fuss is about the Parthenon marbles.”

Lady G nodded. “Lord Elgin has certainly taken some harsh criticism.”

They traipsed through narrow halls to a room smelling of fresh paint where the Parthenon sculptures loomed larger than Lady G had imagined.

There were shattered gods and half-draped goddesses aplenty.

“The marbles are magnificent, are they not?” Said Lady G.

Lady A walked to a frieze, “The Lapiths and the Centaurs,” and then to a nude male warrior. She shook her head. “The ones that remain intact…I shall never understand.”

Lady G tilted her head. “Understand what?”

Lady A walked to a small sculpture and wafted a hand over Hercules seated on a rock. “His intact phallus, one of the few not broken off. The size! It’s smaller than my pinky! They are all like that.” She waved her hand around the room. “My Horace… Well, I confess I am rather shocked by their diminutive size.”

Lady G tittered. “I saw the ‘Farnese Heracles’ in Naples and ‘Laocoön and His Sons’ at the Vatican. I found it passing odd as well.” She offered Lady A a mischievous look. “So I investigated.”

“How shocking!” Lady A whispered, her eyes glittering as she moved closer to Lady G.

“Indeed.” Lady G giggled. “You see, large phalluses in Ancient Greece were undesirable.”

“Really?” Lady A said. “Why ever not?”

“The Greeks believed small genitalia implied that person had an expansive and potent intelligence up top.”

“No!” Lady A said. “How very odd.”

“Statues with small genitalia make clear the sculptors believed these men were rational and intelligent, their urges under control.”

“My Horace certainly does not…” Lady A cleared her throat.

“Aristophanes,” Lady G said.

“Who?”

“The famous comedic playwright,” Lady G said. “He said in his The Clouds that the ideal male had ‘a gleaming chest, bright skin, broad shoulders, tiny tongue, strong buttocks, and a little prick.’”

“How do you possibly remember that?”

Lady G gave her a knowing look. “How could I not?”

Lady A tittered.

“Naturally, Priapus was the exception. Yet any man with a large member was considered lustful, depraved, and villainous by the ancient Greeks.”

“How very unfair!” Lady A.

Lady G smiled. “I always thought my Samuel was somewhat villainous!”

The Seer

A quest for truth. A legacy in stone. A love forged in danger.

When Lady Claire Pheland is publicly humiliated by London’s Society of Antiquarians, she vows to prove her radical theory: that the iconic ancient Greek statues were once vividly painted. Claire’s search for evidence leads her to Greece in the company of Lord Theseus Ashworth—a brilliant scholar on a dangerous mission of his own: returning his father’s Greek sculptures to their rightful home.

Their journey is fraught with peril. Bandits lurk in the shadows, a Greek prophetess whispers cryptic warnings, and a traitor mirrors their every move. In Delphi, tensions erupt when Lord Byron arrives, a priceless bust vanishes, and a villager is murdered. As Claire nears proving her theory, Theseus’ mission spirals into a deadly game when seven ancient sculptures are stolen and a second life is taken.

What begins as a battle of wits between Claire and Theseus soon ignites into a passion as fiery as the dangers surrounding them. But when Theseus is brutally attacked upon their return to England, they realize the thieves will continue their murderous ways until they are stopped. With time running out, they must unmask the killers before they become their next victims. Will they uncover the truth—or be buried by it?

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Seer-Book-Secret-Tales-ebook/dp/B0FCDMJPB2

About the Author

Award-winning author Vicki Stiefel now also writes as Sanna Brand, including Regency Romances, THE BOND (Book 1, The Secret Tales), THE DECEPTION, and now, THE SEER. Vicki’s s fantasy romance series, The Made Ones Saga, launched with ALTERED, continued with CHANGED, and climaxed with ASCENDANT.
Vicki continues work on her Afterworld Chronicles and her award-winning mystery/thrillers feature homicide counselor Tally Whyte.
Vicki tapped into her love of knitting to produce Chest of Bone The Knit Collection and co-write 10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters.
After running The Writers Studio with her late husband, William G. Tapply, Vicki taught fiction and modern media writing for six years at Clark University.
She grew up in professional theater and planned to become an actress. Instead, she slung hamburgers, managed a scuba shop, and became a college professor. She is a mom to two wonderful humans and a furry pack. Her passions for scuba diving, fly fishing, knitting, and horses pop up in her novels, as do chocolate, bourbon, and lobster. Currently, she’s playing with her menagerie while working on THE UNSEEN (as SANNA BRAND) , the fourth book in The Secret Tales.

SCANDAL ON THE SHORE

A PRINCE, A PLAIN DRESS, AND A MOST INCONVENIENT KISS

Dearest Readers,

While all of London buzzed with anticipation for the arrival of His Highness Prince Alex von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, it appears the Prince had other plans—plans that involved sun-drenched cliffs, sea-kissed breezes, and a certain merchant’s daughter.

Yes, you heard it here first.

Rather than sweeping into London with pomp and procession to greet his intended bride (whose dowry, I am told, rivals the Crown Jewels), the elusive Prince Alex was seen disembarking not at Dover—but in a sleepy cove in Cornwall. And he was not alone.

Who should be at his side but Miss Seraphina Lyndon, daughter of the fabulously wealthy (and frightfully ambitious) shipping magnate Mr. Lyndon? But before one clutches one’s pearls too tightly, allow me to add the most curious detail of all: Miss Lyndon wore a gown so simple, so unadorned, it would hardly suit a lady accustomed to ballrooms and betrothals. Unless, of course, she didn’t want to be noticed.

Too late, my dear.

Sources—sunburned but steadfast—report the pair engaged in what can only be described as clandestine solitude: long walks, quiet laughter, and—oh, scandal!—a kiss behind the dunes that had more heat than the midsummer sun.

Now, let us connect the dots, shall we?

Miss Lyndon is promised to a foreign prince—a prince she’s never met.

Prince Alex is promised to a lady in London—a lady he has yet to acknowledge.

So why are they together in Cornwall? And why do their footsteps trace the very same stretch of sand?

Could it be…they are the betrothed pair, unknowingly entangled in a twist of fate? Or perhaps the Prince seeks to lose himself in love before duty calls? Or most delicious of all…has Miss Lyndon fallen for a stranger, not knowing she kisses the very prince she is meant to wed?

Whispers say a storm is coming. And this time, it’s not from the sea.

Yours in ink and intrigue,

Yours in eager anticipation,

The Teatime Tattler

How To Lose a Prince This Summer

by Sara Adrien and Tanya Wilde

They’re destined for duty. But will an impossible love on the Cornish Coast rewrite their fate?

Lady Seraphina Lyndon treasures the wild beauty of her summers on the Cornish Coast. But this year is bittersweet—it’s her last taste of freedom before an arranged marriage to a foreign prince. Her father’s business depends on this union, but Sera’s heart is drawn to someone else. A handsome and mysterious stranger on the beach has stolen her breath with his tender kisses and unforgettable charm. Now, she’s desperate to find a way to lose the prince she’s promised to and stay with the man who makes her feel truly alive. And how can she do this before the end of the summer?

Prince Alexander von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is a man of honor. Bound by duty, he knows he must head to London to complete his engagement to a woman he’s never met. But lingering on the Cornish sands is a captivating beauty who stirs his soul. Drawn to Sera like the tide to the shore, Alex gives his heart away, despite its forbidden risk. She believes him to be a simple man, and he’d rather keep his identity hidden than lose that treasure. He doesn’t want her to discover that he’s already promised to another. Not until he can break off his engagement. But even then, if she finds out all he’s been keeping from her… It might shatter the fragile bond they’ve built. So, how can he be with the woman he loves as just Alex and not Prince Alex?

Bound by an arranged marriage and separated by hidden identities, Sera and Alex face a web of secrets and a scheming villain. Can love prevail over duty, or will fate keep them apart forever?

Don’t miss this summer’s most romantic adventure! The perfect beach read now in Kindle Unlimited!

Note: This series is part of Dragonblade’s Flame line, so this is a scorching-hot read with open-door steam.

Tropes/Themes:

✅ Arranged Marriage

✅ Hidden Identity

✅ Forbidden Love

✅ Summer Romance

✅ Love at First Sight

✅ Secret Royal / Royal in Disguise

✅ One Last Taste of Freedom

✅ Hero Falls First

✅ Scheming Villain

✅ Beachside Kisses

✅ Duty vs. Desire

✅ Swoony Prince

✅ Star-Crossed Lovers

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FCNGHDMZ

Get the FREE companion book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/4mrzm42ill

Wedding Fever Series

Book 1: Dare to Tempt an Earl This Spring

Book 2: How to Lose A Prince This Summer

Book 3: How To Seduce A Duke This Autumn

Book 4: Ways To Kiss A Marquess This Winter

About the Authors

Bestselling author Sara Adrien writes hot, heart-melting regency romance with a Jewish twist. As a law professor-turned-author, she writes about clandestine identities, whims of fate, and sizzling seduction. If you like unique and intelligent characters, deliciously sexy scenes, and the nostalgia of afternoon tea, then you’ll adore Sara Adrien’s tender tear-jerkers. She is the author of the series Infiltrating the Ton, Diamond Dynasty, Check Mates, and Miracles on Harley Street. Get 50% off her #1 bestselling 9-book bundle https://www.saraadrien.com/products/diamond-of-the-ton-collection-1

Find her at:

Instagram: @author_sara_adrien

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565938324623

Substack: authorsara.substack.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22249825.Sara_Adrien

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sara-adrien

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3ASara+Adrien

 

Tanya Wilde developed a passion for reading when she had nothing better to do than lurk in the library during her lunch breaks. Her love affair with pen and paper soon followed after she devoured all of their historical romance books! In 2020, she won the Romance Writers Organization of South Africa (ROSA) Imbali Award for Excellence in Romance Writing for Not Quite a Rogue.

When she’s not meddling in the lives of her characters or drinking copious amounts of coffee, she’s off on adventures with her partner in crime.

Wilde lives in a town at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains, South Africa.

 

 

A Widow of Questionable Virtue

 

Dearest Mr. Clemens, thank you for the delightful Tea you arranged for my sister and I before we left London. As you predicted, there is much delicious information to be had at Sir Peter and Lady Somerville’s house party in the lovely Sussex countryside. My sister Prudence will have already alerted you to the goings on of the night rider Captain Midnight. There will be more on that subject!

My purpose this morning is to inform you about one particular story of potential interest to your readers. A stranger appeared in the nearby village a week or so ago. While he appears to be a gentleman, he is not, in fact a guest of the Somervilles. He has been staying at the common hotel all this time. He has taken close, even obsessive interest in a woman who lives alone with only her small son for company.

Mrs. Tessa Fleming is a war widow and as such should be admired, but really, is it proper for her to be living on her own? The stranger has made repeated visits to her home, and I’ve heard not one word of a chaperone. The ladies here about, both of high and low estate generally attest to the woman’s virtue. Still, one must wonder about these visits by a man of particularly attractive visage and form, and the ladies watch the situation avidly.

What led me to write today is that the identity of the stranger has been revealed. He introduces himself as Titus Flavius Brannock, lately major in His Majesty’s 11th Dragoons. What was revealed last night is that he is the brother of the Earl of Astleigh! Lady Somerville, of course, immediately insisted that he be her guest when she discovered this. He will be at the closing ball. I am agog to discover how he will react when he finds that the widow has been invited also.

There will be more

Your most devoted correspondent,

Abigail Danvers

About the Book: Love’s Perilous Road

Travellers, a house party, smugglers, spies–and a mysterious highwayman. Who is the infamous Captain Moonlight? And how many lives will he change–for good or for ill?

Pre-order it for August:  https://books2read.com/u/mqx0W6

About the Caroline Warfield’s Story: Charred Hope

Major Titus Brannock believes the charred painting that fell into his hands must be valuable to its owner. When he finds her, he finds a true treasure. Tessa Fleming’s first instinct was to burn the miniature her late husband scorned, but the admiration she sees in Titus’s eyes gives her different ideas. Perhaps the little gem will give them both a pearl beyond price.

Who Would Have Thought It?

Dear Readers,

I’ve shared this letter of 28 February with you before, but I am happy to tell you there is a sequel that sheds more light on this matter. I have, of course concealed the identity of the letters’ subjects, but you will perhaps recognized them anyway.

Without further ado:

28 February

My dear Harriet,

Is your cold better? You oughtn’t have gone to church in such rain. At our age, the Lord will see us soon enough, and it has caused you to miss the K ball! Such a crush it was. That dreadful Lord H was drug in by his uncle Lord G, all to meet the M girl. A fresh-faced one, she is, but it didn’t go well! Lud, I wish you had seen the rogue slink away.

And your late friend, A’s girl, L! Did you know she’s bringing out Miss M? Far too young for it, but no one asked me before they set her up in that merchant’s household. Yes and she was seen tête-à-tête in the garden with Lord G! What would A have said? Though one might ask her why she’d die and not leave the girl better-settled than to have to seek employment!

I’m sending a potion made up by Cook. Do try it. I don’t believe it will kill you as she doses the maid and the footman with it upon occasion.

As ever,

Gert

 

21 April

Dear Harriet,

You have retired to the country far too soon! You will never guess the news!

Did I not tell you that A’s girl, L was seen having a tête-à-tête in the garden with Lord G? Oh yes, and I must tell you… well, you will see the announcements soon. Not only has our Miss L found a much better match for the merchant’s girl after Lord H had the courtesy to put himself in the way of a cutthroat (you will have read of his demise). No, there is more!

L and Lord G have married. By special license, it is true, but in a most respectable way and even in the company of a marquess. Who would have thought it?

Mark my word, the new Lady G will be much in demand as a matchmaker next Season!

I am glad the worst of your cold has passed. Do have your cook make up the receipt I’ve enclosed. This elixir is a sure cure for your lingering cough.

Your friend as ever,

Gert

Liliana’s Letter

The Matchmaker

A promise to his long-dead sister forces Lord Grigsby back into society to broker the marriage of his disreputable nephew to the heiress whose money can save the earldom.

The Matchbreaker

Liliana Ashford has been hired to help an heiress pass muster with the ton and snare a titled husband. Though, if she had a magic wand, she’d turn her charge’s fiancé back into the toad he truly was.

Scandal and a New Match

But she never plotted murder! As the young Earl’s sordid death evokes the scandal of the season, a shadow from Liliana’s own past appears, threatening her carefully crafted world. Grigsby sets about finding his nephew’s killer…and Liliana’s secrets. Meanwhile she scrambles to make a new match for the girl, because finding a husband of her own is out of the question.

Or is it?

On sale for 99 cents until June 30, 2025

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/LilianasLetter

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature but prefers the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with two spunky rescues, a blonde terrier and a people-loving chihuahua.

She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances but loves to hear from readers!

Visit her at:

https://alinakfield.com/

https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield

https://twitter.com/AlinaKField

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field

https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alina-k-field

Newsletter signup:  https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z6q6e3

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY

Salacious, Notorious, and Delicious Rumors

Dear Reader,

I offer you today a most interesting report from the ever-reliable Lady P:

Lady P, with more than the latest on dits—I have a confession to make! There have been a number of strapping young footmen over the years who had my heart fluttering, imagining stolen embraces in the linen closet, the tack room in the stables, the alcove… do forgive me for rambling. But, I simply must call your attention to the sixteen handsome-as-sin Irishmen who have been an even greater source of distraction as of late. Fueling more than one day dream because I do so hate to use the word fantasy.

Of whom am I speaking? You must have been banished to the Highlands if you have not espied at least one of the tall, broad shouldered, broad chested men in the Duke of Wyndmere’s private guard. Dearest they have been seen in London, Sussex, the Lake District, Cornwall, and even the Borderlands!

As with any supremely handsome man, there are bound to be salacious, notorious, and dare I say it, delicious, rumors regarding these men. Brothers and cousins and every one more handsome than the last.

Heavens, a glance at the head of the Duke’s Guard had me reaching for my hartshorn! Having seen the broad shouldered, deep chested, green-eyed blond giant, standing beside his equally tall and broad, dark-haired, dark-eyed cousin on one side, and his auburn-haired, blue-eyed giant of a cousin on the other, had my head spinning and my heart pounding. Botheration! Where was I? Those terribly handsome men in the Duke’s Guard have gotten me off track when what I wanted to share was the latest tidbit that I overheard.

Viscount C. all but told S.F. that his injured wife’s condition was less important than reporting in after his patrol. Now I am all for the separation of classes and knowing one’s place in Society, but even I would have to wonder what difference a scant quarter of an hour to see for himself that his wife was indeed on the mend was not too much to ask for.

There are times it pains me to repeat such, but it is for the greater good. For where would the duke and his extended family be without those sixteen men who, it is rumored, have been battered and have bled for those they protect?

Did I fail to mention that the duke’s London man-of-affairs and a certain inspector from Bow Street had to step in and mediate between the viscount and S.F.? How Their Graces will be able to move past this serious threat to the very foundation of His Grace’s private guard is beyond me.

My equilibrium has been knocked out of balance just passing on what I have heard. But fear not, dear reader, for I shall sally forth and uncover the resolution—for certainly there had to have been one—or my name isn’t Lady P! Rest assured, I shall share further news on this subject with the editor of this unimpeachable daily source of information.

 

The Duke’s Champion (The Duke’s Guard, Book 13)

©C.H. Admirand Feb. 2025

Excerpt: 

If he hadn’t lost so much time recovering from wound fever, he might have confessed his small mindedness sooner. His thoughts drifted to a fiery-haired lass and wondered why Mary Kate had not come to see him after he’d been shot. He’d been courting the woman, and by all counts she was besotted with him.

Flaherty closed his eyes and swore, the lass had a perverse way of showing it. “I need to get back to work.” He needed to forget the faithless lass with the bewitching eyes. Concentrate on his duties. “’Tis what I signed on for.” He thought of his cousins’ wives and marveled that every one of them had been unafraid to go toe-to-toe with the men they married whenever they thought they were right. What a sight that had been!

“The lot of them are beautiful and stubborn to the bone.” His thoughts immediately went to the woman he hadn’t seen hide nor hair of while recovering. The fever held him in its grip longer than he anticipated. Bloody hell! He’d even dreamed Mary Kate had been beside him, but it must have been the fever overheating his brainbox. Flaherty had been weak as a babe those first few days after his fever broke. Well he was hale and hearty now, and had made up his mind to confront her. He decided it was past time to ask Sean for the time away from his duties to pay her a visit. She’d taunted him in his delirium—and in his sleep. It gutted him that his woman always claimed James Garahan was the man who’d saved her life. When would Mary Kate remember the far more dramatic rescue the day Flaherty had pulled Mary Kate and Lady Calliope, Viscountess Chattsworth, from the duke’s carriage? It had slid on ice, and tipped over onto its side, just a half a mile from Chattsworth Manor.

Mary Kate was a winsome lass, with blue-violet eyes, a sunshine smile, and lips as red as a rose. Soft and supple, just ripe for kissing. But women were fickle creatures at best. “Bloody hell.” Why had she deserted him in his time of need if she loved him? A devastating thought occurred… The lass was still in love with Garahan! Had she ever loved me?

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9QY519S

Author Bio:

If we have not met yet, I’m delighted to meet you. Here’s a little bit about me…

I have been writing romance novels for almost half my life—well, at least for the last thirty years. I’m a die-hard romantic and have to confess the broad shoulders and wicked glint in the brilliant green eyes of a stranger had my breath snagging in my breast, my heart beating madly, and my future flashing before my eyes. At the age of seventeen, I’d met the man I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with.

I write Historical & Contemporary Romance featuring characters that I know so well: hardheaded heroes and feisty heroines! They rarely listen to me and in fact, I think they enjoy messing with my plans for them. Over the years I have learned to listen to them. I have always used family names in my books and love adding bits and pieces of my ancestors and ancestry in them, too! Visit my website to learn more about my books.

C.H.’s Social Media Links:

Website:

https://www.chadmirand.com

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/C.-H.-Admirand/author/B001JPBUMC

BookBub:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-h-admirand

Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/CHAdmirandAuthor

GoodReads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/212657.C_H_Admirand

Dragonblade Publishing:

https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/team/c-h-admirand/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/c.h.admirand/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRSXBeqEY52VV3mHdtg5fXw

 

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