Aloha to Bec McMaster and OF SILK AND STEAM

ENEMIES. ALLIES. LOVERS.

When her beloved father was assassinated, Lady Aramina swore revenge. The man responsible is well beyond her grasp, but his dangerously seductive heir, Leo Barrons, is fair game. When Mina obtains evidence proving that Leo is illegitimate, she has the means to destroy both the killer and his son, a man who troubles her heart and tempts her body.

A woman of mystery, Mina’s long driven Leo crazy with glimpses of a fiery passion that lurks beneath her icy veneer. He knows she’s hiding something, and he’s determined to unravel her layer by silken layer. He just doesn’t expect the beautiful liar to be the key to overthrowing the corrupt prince consort…or to saving his own carefully walled-off heart.

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Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Victoria, Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, RWA (Australia) and RWNZ, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds.

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Bec offers an excerpt from OF SILK AND STEAM ...

Barrons looked at her. “Do you trust me?”

“No.” His father would have cut her down without thinking, but Barrons was an enigma. If he were a different man, she would have enjoyed his attentions, but a part of her couldn’t help wondering if his pursuit of her was just a way to get closer, to slip the knife in when she least expected it…

Could she trust that he meant her no harm?

His hand tightened around hers, dark heat sweeping through his irises. He focused on her so intently that she could almost feel it on her skin. “Then let us call a temporary truce for tonight. I shall help you escape. In return…”

“Yes?”

His voice roughened. “I want a kiss.”

A kiss. Tension slid sinuously along her limbs, each muscle clenching. Those motives she could certainly understand. It didn’t mean she had to like them.

Wariness spread through her as he lifted his hand and slowly, carefully brushed the back of his fingers against her lips. She didn’t flinch. Instead she tipped her chin up and glared him down. “Help me escape and I shall grant you such a liberty.” What harm could a single kiss do? “Until then”—she took a step back, her skirts swishing around her ankles—“I’ll thank you to keep your hands to yourself.”

His hand dropped but the ghostly sensation of that touch lingered, reminding her that it had been a long time since she’d been touched in any way intimately, and never like this. Never…soft. Full of gentleness, as if the very sensation of her skin beneath his was a pleasure in itself, not merely a step to greater satisfaction.

He was far more dangerous than she’d ever suspected, and she’d known, since the first moment she’d met him, that he was dangerous indeed. He was the only man who had ever managed to make her feel something.

Aloha to Gina Lamm and GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES

On this day in 1964, Queen Elizabeth opened the Forth Road Bridge, making it Europe's longest suspension bridge (at the time), linking Edinburgh to Perth across the River Forth.  From the BBC website (link),

Tens of thousands of spectators turned up to watch the royal cavalcade slowly cross the 3,300ft (1,005m) central span of the bridge.

Soldiers of Lowland regiments from the south linked up symbolically with a Highland brigade from the north to mark the opening of the new crossing, which cuts more than an hour off the journey-time by road.

Twenty-five Royal Navy ships fired a salute of guns and after a brief opening speech from the Queen there was also a fly-past.

Afterwards the Queen returned across the Forth by ferry, marking the final trip in the 800-year-old service.

Released to Public Domain by Euchiasmus

Gina Lamm bridges the present to the past in her time travel romances.  She joins me today for a cozy chat ....

Gina:  Hi, and thanks so much to Kim from SOS Aloha for having me back! I had such a great time guest posting here for THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL (link), so coming back for book two, GEEK GIRLS DON’T DATE DUKES, is extra exciting. I know you’ve got some questions for me, so I’ll dive right in!

Kim:  We are nosy here at SOS Aloha. What is your favorite sight, sound. and smell of rural NC?

Gina:  I have to say that the best part of my home is right at the edge of the day, just before night falls. When the sun starts to fall, and the heat and mugginess of the day eases, the first breezes of night bring a bit of relief to overheated skin. The crickets start to sing, and the whippoorwills and doves call. Sitting outside on a porch swing with my family at the beginning of night is my favorite thing about where I live. But if I had my “druthers” (which is a thing people really say out loud around here) I’d be doing that at the Outer Banks. We only live a couple of hours from there, and that is really my favorite place on earth. Add the smell of salt water and the rushing sound of waves to the above? You’ve got a recipe for heaven on earth to me. :) 

Little Egypt Belly Dancer
Photographer Benjamin Falk 1890's
Public Domain (link)

Kim:  Belly dancing - what inspired you to learn it? What are some of the misconceptions you encounter as a teacher?

Gina:  I started bellydancing because a friend of mine was interested in it, but I quickly fell in love with the expression on my own. It’s so freeing, and honestly empowering. Women of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels can bellydance, so it’s very versatile. Of course, the biggest misconception most people have is that bellydancing is the same as stripping, or they think it’s very suggestive and sexual. It’s not. Of course, you can make it as sexual as you want, but the same can be said of any form of dance. It’s an elegant art form, and while I’m not currently teaching, I’m still a huge fan and I love dancing whenever I get the chance.

Kim:   You write a wide range of romance genres - what are the challenges and rewards of being multi-dimensional?

Gina:  Oh gosh, keeping up with myself! I love the challenge of genre-hopping, but I am finding out that it’s important to give my readers a common thread they can expect when they pick up my different books. After all, I love knowing what to expect when I pick up a certain author’s books, so it’s only fair that I give my readers the same treatment! Going forward, I plan to concentrate on only 2 or 3 different genres, instead of the 4 or 5 I’m currently dabbling in!

Kim:  Tell us about GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES!

Gina:  This is the second book in the “Geek Girls” series, and it’s all about Jamie’s best friend Leah. When Leah gets the chance to go back in time and find her own perfect love, she thinks she’s got it all figured out. After all, titled and rich gentlemen are the way those stories always go, right? But things don’t exactly work out how she expects. She finds herself as a maid in a duke’s household, juggling a difficult job and her own expectations. Not an easy combination, especially when ex-pugilist and valet Avery Russell is always there, being wonderful and noble and completely gorgeous. Leah and Avery have to overcome a lot, and I really hope that readers enjoy their story.

Kim:  What's next for Gina Lamm? 

Gina:  Well, I’m actually hard at work on the third and final book in the “Geek Girls” series, THE GEEK GIRL AND THE RELUCTANT RAKE! The heroine, Ella, gets a brief introduction in GEEK GIRLS DON’T DATE DUKES, and there’s a wee bit of a teaser in the back of the paperback copy of GGDDD for book 3. I’m calling this one my “Regency Road Trip,” and I’m having a blast writing it. :)

Thank you so much for having me!!

Mahalo, Gina, for joining us today!  Sourcebooks is giving away a print copy of GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES to one randomly selected commenter.  

All Leah wanted was a little gallantry, a bit of chivalry. What she had was Kevin, the ex-boyfriend who’s asked her to be his new fiancee’s bridesmaid. Fat chance. Why can’t it be like the good old days? It’s as though someone hears her plea because the next thing she knows, a plump housekeeper full of mischief sends her back in time to Regency England. And now Leah is determined to snag her very own duke…

Avery Russell was polishing boots when the woman fell through the mirror into his arms, breathlessly babbling some nonsense about “my one true love, Your Grace.” If the chit couldn’t tell a valet from a duke, she was in a sorry state indeed. And as much as he wanted to give in and give her a good tumble, he knew it wouldn’t be proper. No, he’d take his time wooing this one… as long as necessary to convince her that sometimes a duke just won’t do.

To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about chivalry - what attribute do you admire most in a chivalrous hero?   

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 7, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 8.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

To learn more about Gina and her books, check out her website at ginalamm.net.