Showing posts with label paranormal romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal romance. Show all posts

Stonebridge l Official Book Teaser Trailer

 

After the death of her mother, Rynna Dalton comes to live with her imperious great-grandmother and her bookish, disabled cousin Ted at Stonebridge Manor. Almost immediately she is aware of a mysterious presence, which she believes is the spirit of her mother’s murdered cousin, Rosalind. Rynna is charmed by Rosalind’s lawyer son Jason Wyatt, who courts her, and she agrees to marry him. Meanwhile Ted and Rynna become good friends. But Stonebridge holds secrets that will profoundly affect her future. Why is Ted so opposed to the match? Why does Rosalind seem to warn Rynna against it? And how far will Jason go to possess Stonebridge—and the woman he professes to love?

Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

 
About the Author

Linda Griffin knew she wanted to be a “book maker” as soon as she learned to read and wrote her first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” at the age of six. She retired as fiction librarian for the San Diego Public Library to spend more time on her writing. She has had stories of every length from short shorts to novellas published in numerous literary journals, and Stonebridge is her eighth book from the Wild Rose Press. She enjoys the three R’s — reading, writing, and research–as well as Scrabble, movies, and travel. 

Author Links  

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Guest post: "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places" by Urban Fantasy Author Christine Amsden

Some of you may be too young to recall the popular country music song “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places” by Johnny Lee. It came out in 1980, when I was three, and I grew up with it. It's one of those country songs that I think exemplifies the genre – a song about real people and real struggles. It was a song that I think many people can relate to at one point in their life or another.
For Kaitlin, the heroine of my new novel, Kaitlin's Tale, it's her theme song. It fits hero Matthew Blair as well – really, it has to. Otherwise Kaitlin couldn't own the final line of the song: “Now that I found a friend and a lover
I'll bless the day I discover you-oh you
Lookin' for love
(In all the wrong places ...)”
I think it's especially true that when we're young, we know what we want more than what we need. These are not the same things.
Kaitlin wants a fairy tale hero. She wants to be loved for who she is but ironically, won't tell anyone who that is. She's actively afraid of Matthew when she discovers he's a telepath and might really learn the truth about her.
But Kaitlin has very serious problems at the heart of her journey through man after man. She was sexually abused by her stepfather at a tender age and her big secret – that it's really her fault – is the lie driving her life.
It's not really her fault. But she believes it is, as do many, many victims of sexual abuse.
In the end, a telepath is just what Kaitlin needs, even if it's not what she wants.
Telepaths don't exist in real life. Which is why even as I wrote Kaitlin's story, I found myself hoping that others would recognize the real need here – not for a telepath, but to tell someone the truth. Someone who can help. I know you're out there somewhere, but only in a general sense. Nobody can help you if you don't first tell them you need help.
Meanwhile, enjoy the fantasy of one woman looking for love in all the wrong places. She finds it when she's honest.



Title: Kaitlin's Tale
Genre: urban fantasy/paranormal romance
Author: Christine Amsden
Website: http://www.christineamsden.com
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcNgx7SoWy8&feature=youtu.be 
Amazon / OmniLit

About the Book:
Kaitlin Mayer is on the run from the father of her baby – a vampire who wants her to join him in deadly eternity. Terrified for her young son, she seeks sanctuary from the hunters guild. But they have their own plans for her son, and her hopes of safety are soon shattered.
When she runs into Matthew Blair, an old nemesis with an agenda of his own, she dares to hope for a new escape. But Matthew is a telepath, and Kaitlin's past is full of dark secrets she never intended to reveal.
About the Author: 
Christine is the award-winning author of the Cassie Scot series, the story of the only ungifted scion of a family of powerful sorcerers. Her latest novel, Kaitlin's Tale, follows the trials of Cassie's best friend as she falls in love with Cassie's arch-nemesis. Christine's other titles include The Immortality Virus, Touch of Fate, and Madison's Song.
When she isn't writing, Christine is often editing or coaching other authors. In recent years, freelance editing has become almost as great a passion as writing itself. Plus, it supports her writing habit. Christine is a wife, a mom, and a foster mom. She lives in Olathe, Kansas, just outside Kansas City.
Connect with the author on the web:

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Profile: Christine Amsden, Author of the Cassie Scot Series


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“Writing has taught me the importance of self-confidence in becoming good at anything,” says Christine Amsden, who, in spite of having been diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision, has gone on to become the award-winning, bestselling author of the Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective fantasy/mystery series published by Twilight Times Books.
“My parents encouraged reading a LOT,” says this speculative fiction writer, who grew up gobbling up The Chronicles of Narnia, The Baby Sitter’s Club, andFlowers in the Attic. “I know they read to me too, but I was an advanced reader at an early age and preferred to read on my own when I could. I have memories of staring at picture books, making up stories about the pictures though I couldn’t understand the words.” At the tender age of 8, she wrote her first short story, about Cabbage Patch Dolls going to Mars. From then on, she wrote fairly consistently until 2003, which marked the beginning of her professional career when she attended a workshop with Orson Scott Card.
Amsden may be legally blind, but she hasn’t allowed that part of her life to stop her from becoming a prolific author, and nowadays she splits her time between writing, freelance editing, and coaching — with a keen focus on writing. She loves to write about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations, giving special attention to people and relationships, her way of making science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone. “I will continue to marry romance with speculative fiction because I simply love both genres,” states the author. “I love a good character story. I think character is more important than just about anything else, and a great character will have me reading any genre at all and loving it. I get a lot of people telling me that they like my books even though they ‘don’t normally read stuff like that.’ I think it’s because of the characters.”
In what she describes as her messy, cluttered desk, and with a special arm attached to her monitor to help her eyes and back, Amsden creates her stories rich in characterization and world building. Her latest book, Madison’s Song, a companion to her Cassie Scot series, is about a shy young woman who has suffered more than her fair share of betrayal in the past. A friend of Cassie (the only ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers), Madison now gets a chance to prove that she can be more than a plump, shy sidekick. When her brother’s life is in danger, she faces her greatest fear with head held high to save him. The story is equally about Scott, a werewolf who has fallen in love with a woman he doesn’t believe he deserves.
MadisonsSong_medAmsden’s writing style is straightforward and conversational, which is probably why most readers and reviewers describe her work as highly entertaining and fast paced. “I’m not the sort to hide the story behind flowery prose,” she says. “I like the words to get out of the way of the story.” She’s a fast writer as well, finishing the rough draft of the book in only two months, though she then put it aside for a year before revising it, a process that took her five additional months. Her writing process, though fluid, is different with each book. “My best story ideas are the ones that come to me while I’m doing something else, although this doesn’t excuse me from putting in my hours of conscious effort. No two projects that I’ve worked on have developed in exactly the same way, either. I like to try new strategies, mix things up, so life doesn’t get boring.”
Like the Cassie Scot series, Madison’s Song will also be available in audiobook format, which is how Amsden “reads” most books these days. “It was important to me, when I became an author, to make my books available to listen to as well as read, and not just for others with disabilities. Audiobooks are a terrific way to enjoy books for busy people whose reading time can be combined with a daily commute, or with housework.”
Like most authors, Amsden loves sharing her creative ideas with the world, something which can be understandably challenging. “Nothing is universally liked,” states the author. “I try not to read negative comments or reviews, but it’s almost impossible to avoid all of it. When someone ‘gets me’ I feel an almost euphoric connectedness to the world; when someone doesn’t, (in a really big way), it almost makes me feel isolated.”
The definition of success varies from writer to writer. For Amsden, it has changed since she started writing. “At one time (not too long ago), I had an unrealistic expectation of success that involved becoming a bestseller and making an upper-class living off of my books,” she confesses. “When the Cassie Scot series came out, I sold thousands of books but still didn’t make the kind of money that would let me ‘earn a living’ off of it. It made me rethink my definition of success, becauseMessyDeskby all measurable standards my books are doing well – I’ve got great reviews, I’ve won several awards, I’ve sold many thousands of books, and I’m making money. I feel most successful when I connect with readers who love my books. So maybe that’s what success is. I’d love to connect with more readers, sell more books, and make more money, but I’m becoming satisfied with who and what I am now. (Like Cassie.)”
At the moment, the author is waiting for her next book, Kaitlin’s Tale, to be released by Twilight Times Books. She’s also hard at work on a new series set in a completely different world and with a new cast of characters. Though it’s way too early to say much about it, readers can count on it being filled with romance and the paranormal.
A native of St. Louis, Christine Amsden now lives in Olathe, Kansas with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success, and their two beautiful children.
TouchofFateSigningBibliography:
Touch of Fate (Twilight Times Books, 2006)
The Immortality Virus(Twilight Times Books, 2011)
Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective (Twilight Times Books, 2013)
Secrets and Lies (Twilight Times Books, 2013)
Mind Games (Twilight Times Books, 2014)
Stolen Dreams (Twilight Times Books, 2014)
Madison’s Song (Twilight Times Books, 2015)
Connect with Christine Amsden on the web:
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Book Review & $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway: ‘Mind Games,’ by Christine Amsden


MindGames_medMind Games is the much awaited third installment in the new adult mystery series, Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective. Talented author Christine Amsden keeps delivering a great story filled with interesting characters, romance, mystery, and the paranormal, lots of it.
In this episode, Cassie still doesn’t know why Evan broke her heart two months ago, and the mystery gnaws at her big time. She decides to keep busy and make herself useful at the sheriff’s department. She also meets charismatic mind mage Matthew Blair…much to Evan’s distaste. At the same time, Eagle Rock is teeming with hate from the religious community, a reaction to the recent murder of a much-esteemed pastor’s wife by what the people believe was a sorcerer. The town is about to snap, with tensions between the magical and non-magical communities.
And in the center of all this, is Matthew, whom Cassie finds irresistible. But can she trust him? According to Evan, no way. But then, Evan isn’t the most objective person when it comes to Cassie. Evan and Cassie have a history, as well as a secret connection, that keeps them bound in spite of themselves.
Will Cassie discover the real culprit or culprits behind the pastor’s wife’s murder, as well as the real face behind the anti-magical propaganda and demonstrations? Most importantly, will she wake up and see Matthew for who he really is…and find the courage to face Evan for what he did to her—when she finds out?
I love this series and thoroughly enjoyed this instalment! There’s something about Cassie’s voice that makes her really likable. She has a good heart and is witty, too. But best of all, she is just an ordinary girl next door trying to do her best in spite of everything that happens around her—which is usually pretty remarkable, as is often the case in paranormal stories.
Her relationship with Evan keeps evolving organically and there’s a major revelation in this book about their connection and the secret behind their rival families. Matthew is a great addition to this episode, adding tension with his charismatic personality and inciting sparks of jealousy from Evan. The conflict between the religious and the magical communities is also well done.
Mind Games kept me reading late into the night, wondering what would happen next. If you haven’t read any books in this series before, I urge you to pick up book one first, Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective. The books are best read in order. You won’t be disappointed.
Purchase links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble
Connect with the author on the web: 
My review was originally published on Blogcritics. 
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!!!
*The giveaway begins on April 15, 2014 at midnight and ends on July 16, 2014 at midnight.
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Book Review: ‘Knight Blindness’ by Chris Karlsen


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Knight Blindness is the third installment in Karlsen’s The Knights in Time series. I have read the first two books and, as always, the author doesn’t disappoint.
The story begins at the Battle of Poitiers, France, in 1356. English knight Stephen Palmer charges into battle when he is suddenly struck by the enemy. In that instant, he plummets through time and when he wakes up, wounded and confused, he finds himself in a hospital in 2013. Not only that, but blind due to his wound. His manner of speaking, questions and claims force people to believe that he’s mad.
In a twist of fate, old friends of his who have also secretly traveled through time before, from earlier books, come to help. They assign him a tutor to help him adjust to the modern world: beautiful and warm-hearted Esme Crippen who, unfortunately, thinks Stephen adorable but also mad.
But unbeknown to Stephen, the man who struck him, French knight Roger Marchant, was also sucked into the vortex and ripped through time…and he has his own agenda and will stop at nothing to hunt his enemy down and bring him back to 1356.
This was a thoroughly entertaining and compelling read. Romance, adventure, intrigue, mystery and a touch of humor await you in Knight Blindness. With her close attention to historical detail, Karlsen brings the story to life. Stephen is a riveting hero, brave, loyal and stubborn, yet with a vulnerable, sensitive side; Esme is as sympathetic as heroines go, and I had fun watching their romance evolve. Roger is a character not many will like, but Karlsen gave him some redeeming qualities as well, making him a more complex and realistic villain. I should mention that although this is third in a series, it is also a standalone book, and the author does a good job in providing some light backstory that doesn’t get overwhelming. If you’re a fan of time-travel and historical romance, you’ll want to add this one to your shelf.
Purchase from Amazon.
Visit the author’s website.
My review was originally published in Blogcritics.
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Chapter Reveal: Knight Blindness, by Chris Karlsen

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment below for a chance to win an eset of Heroes Live Forever and Journey in Time along with a swag bag. The swag bag will be a small tote with the book covers screened on, a “medieval style” bracelet and a package of soap leaves shaped like rose petals.

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Ready for battle, Medieval English knight, Stephen Palmer, charges into the French enemy’s cavalry line. Heeding a warning given months before, he hesitates as he comes face-to-face with the knight in the warning. Struck down in the year 1356, he finds himself landing in the year 2013. Grievously wounded, he’s taken to a nearby hospital. Confused by the new world surrounding him, he attempts to convince the staff he’s from another time, only to find they think him mad.

Rescued by friends, who, to his surprise, have also come through time, he must find a way to function in this odd modern England. He is quickly enchanted by the kind Esme Crippen, the young woman hired to tutor him. She too is enchanted by him. Tempted to deepen the relationship, she hesitates thinking him adorable, but mad. He must discover the means for getting her to believe the truth, all the while, unknown to him, he didn’t come forward in time alone. The enemy knight has also traveled to 2013.

French noble, Roger Marchand, doesn’t question why the English knight who charged him hesitated. That fraction of a pause gave him the advantage needed and he brought his sword down upon the Englishman’s helmet hard, unhorsing the knight. He moved to finish the Englishman off when the world changed in a rush of sensations as he is ripped through time.

Seeking a reason for the terrible event, he enters a nearby chapel. There, thinking God has chosen him for a quest to turn French defeat that day in 1356 to victory, he sets out to find the English knight. The man he is convinced holds the key to time. If he returns to the day of the battle, he can warn his king of mistakes that snatched victory from them.   

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Stephen was singing, not along with the Righteous Brothers or other group but along with himself. Esme doubted he’d hear her knock and just came in.
“Oh, I love that song,” she said and set her laptop, purse, and store bag onto the dining table.
“Unchained Melody is one of the songs Lady Shakira taught me,” Stephen told her. “She also taught me, The Way You Look Tonight. You know about Tusk.”
“Begin again.”
“Which one? Unchained Melody?”
“All of them.”
He clicked back to the first cut on a CD in the player. 
She sat at the table as he began with The Way You Look Tonight. If she didn’t know he was blind, she’d never think that from the way he moved and gestured. A step here and there, the slight sway, the beckoning with his hands, he acted so comfortable with the words and music. He exuded a confidence in his performance she hadn’t expected.  After he finished the three songs Shakira taught him, he sang the songs from Phantom of the Opera. What talent. Esme could listen to his rich tenor voice all day.
“Those are what I learned so far.”
“Where did you record this?”
“Alex and Shakira converted their second bedroom into a small music studio.”
Esme stood and went over to him. “When will you make the CD for me?”
“I must learn a few more songs to fill up the leftover time on the disc.”
“I can’t wait. Speaking of time, we’d better get started on your lessons. I don’t want to get into trouble.”
“You won’t. I pay you now.”
The new situation put her in an awkward position. The time they spent together away from her tutoring lessons was precious. She looked forward to their rides. Except for the sensory overload problem in the pub, both enjoyed the trip to Cheltenham. He might be daffy, but his old world craziness had a charming element. But if he’s the one employing her, it seemed rather tawdry to let herself be too charmed.
“Why the change?” she asked.
“I don’t want you to worry anymore about losing your job.”
“But where did you—“
“I made a profitable trade.”
“What did—”
He put his hand up. “No more talk of money.”
It took a moment for the penny to drop. When it did, it landed in a flurry of mixed emotions. The only time she mentioned losing her job was after he tried to kiss her. Did he intend to come on to her and this was his way of removing a major stumbling block? Or, did he and Alex have a previously agreed to arrangement for him to take over the financial details when possible all along?
Never good at sussing out the hidden meaning behind people’s actions, the last option meant he had limited interest in her, which kind of bummed her out. Part of her liked the idea he went to this trouble to pave the way for another kiss. On the other hand, if he was interested in her, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. The ‘be a better person’ part of her knew his disability shouldn’t matter. In truth, another part of her, maybe even a bigger part, questioned if his blindness was something she wanted to handle on a more personal level and daily. The idea of someone being that dependent on her...
She refused to worry about it and let the thought fall away. She didn’t have to decide right now. Wait and see what transpired.
“Do you want to know some other songs I like?” she asked, wanting to think about something less mentally taxing. 
“For another CD, yes. For this first one, I prefer to surprise you.”
“I trust I’ll love them all. While we are on the subject of trust, do you trust me?”
His chest rose as he sucked in a gulp of air, which she didn’t see him let out. “It’s never good when a woman asks this.”
“What?”
He exhaled. “I’ll speak slower. It’s—”
“You don’t need to speak slower. You need to explain the comment.”
“I’ve been asked this a handful of times in my life. Whenever it was asked by a woman, things did not work out well for me. Women either do not recognize trouble on sight or pretend they don’t. Whichever, the result rarely comes in the form of good fortune.”
“Listen to yourself. You’re such a chauvinist and you complain about Tony honking for me.”
“Cows and sheep, milady.”
“What the deuce do cows and sheep have to do with this conversation?”
“It’s an expression we have. Although they are both livestock, they are not comparable. My observations about the judgment of women and that Tony person aren’t comparable either.”
She tried to piece together his logic and gave up. “Back to my question. Do you trust me?”
“What do you plan?”
“You have great hair, very lustrous.” She ran her hand down the side of his head. “How silky it is and I like the smell of the tea tree oil shampoo.” She lifted a large lock. “But the ends are tattered and you’re looking a bit shaggy. I’d like to trim it.”
His shoulders relaxed noticeably and he smiled a smile, not of pleasure but one of relief. “You may. I’ll sit at the table.”
“Let me get a towel.” She returned and wrapped the towel around his neck, dug the scissors from her bag and began snipping.
“Do you normally wear your hair to your shoulders because I’d like to shorten it at least an inch or two.”
After a moment of hesitation, he said, “All right.”
As she combed his hair, she had second thoughts about whether or not she should ask the questions that arose from her research.
The day Stephen talked about his friend, Simon Harrow, she decided not to wait for the weekend to go to the British Museum Library. She’d researched the library online and found one book that listed Baron Guy Guiscard in relation to the Battle of Poitiers. Like Stephen had told her, Baron Guiscard was killed in the battle. The book stated he’d gone on the campaign with a large company of knights who served him. Unfortunately, the book didn’t list the men by name. It did reference the fact the baron fought at Crecy ten years earlier. Stephen said he fought alongside Simon and was himself made a knight following that battle. After an exhaustive search, Esme found a book which listed all the men the Black Prince raised up to knighthood at Crecy. A Stephen Palmer was listed. Research was one of her strengths and the obscure reference took her forever to find. How had Stephen managed to not only discover the entry but know what it said? He didn’t read.
Too curious not to hear his answer, she broached the subject of the past he believed he came from. “Stephen, did you know that in addition to the chronicles of the Black Prince’s 1356 campaign, events of the 1346 campaign were chronicled too?”
“No,” he said with a shrug.
“Don’t move your head. You’re mentioned by name in the first chronicle as having received your knighthood.”
“Makes sense. Although I’m a landless knight, the title does grant me a few privileges. A record of those entitled is required.”
In her head, she planned to go slow and lead up to the question she really wanted to hear him answer. Patience—that particular virtue skipped over her and she blurted, “How is it, Guy’s death is listed, Simon is buried in what was the family cemetery but you are here?”
He turned toward her just as she slid the scissors around a sizeable chunk of hair. Before she could stop, four inches of hair fell onto the floor.
“Oops.”
“Oops? I don’t like the sound of that.”
“I told you to sit still.”
Stephen ran a quick palm down the back of his head. “Trust me, you said. Do you remember me saying it rarely works out well when a woman asks me that?” He ran his hand over the damage a few more times, groaning with each pass.
“Have you considered you might look better with much shorter hair?”
“It matters not what I consider now. The choice has been made for me.”
“I really am sorry.”
He waved away her apology. “Cut the rest.”
“Are you sure? I don’t know if I’ll be any good at shaping it. My plan was simply trim the ends.”
“As was my plan when I sat down.”
She started cutting small sections but feared the outcome.
“Back to my question,” Esme said. “How are you here?” Perhaps if he saw how impossible it was for him to be the knight Stephen Palmer, a flicker of his true memory might return. No doubt the Lancasters along with Miranda and Ian asked him the same question, brought up the same logic of impossibility. If he heard from enough people, the psychotic break would heal. Not that she knew anything about psychology, but didn’t think it would hurt for her to try.
“Before the campaign, Guy warned me about a French knight I’d face. He told me of the man’s heraldic symbol. On the battlefield, I encountered this knight. I hesitated, recognizing him for who he was. The hesitation cost me my sight. A blow from his sword penetrated my helm, the damage blinded me.”
Stephen reached up and found her hand, stopping her from continuing to trim his hair. He held her wrist and brought her around so she stood in front of him.
“I have told you the truth about me from the first. I am telling you the truth now when I say, I don’t know how, but I have come through time.”
She gave a silent thank you that he didn’t see her mouth fall open with the bizarre revelation.
“You’ve gone quiet,” he said.
“Stephen you are not a time traveler. I don’t know the medical or psychological reasons behind your belief that you’re Stephen Palmer, medieval knight. I’m sure it stems from the trauma of your injury. But I’m telling you the truth when I say you didn’t come forward in time.”
“Do you think I wish this on myself? Wish to be a man out of time and away from all I know of life? My friends died hundreds of years past. I’ve lost my beloved Arthur, who I trained from the time he was a yearling.”
“You have Alex and Shakira.”
“Yes, but their lives are centered on each other, as it should be, as it was in my time. I’m talking about my friends in the barracks. Men I drank with and laughed with and suffered with in battle.”
The insistence in his words, the unrelenting belief in his delusion tore at her heart. In a way, she wished she could share in the delusion just so he wouldn’t feel so alone and adrift. He spoke like a career soldier with no love interest. Odd for a nice looking man.
“You didn’t name a special woman. Was there one?”
“I was rather fond of a milkmaid. She was the cook’s daughter.”
No way did he read about a lowly milkmaid in any book Esme could think of. Curious how he’d answer she said, “Tell me about her.”
A stolen glance as he looked away revealed a wistful smile that touched his lips and disappeared.
“Her name was Rosamond,” he said, turning back to Esme. “Both her hands fit into my palm. She hummed music she heard in her head to the animals as she milked.”
“Was she pretty?”
“She had a pretty smile and a kind heart.”
“Did you court her?”
“I...we...” He shook his head. “We...flirted. I was talking to her on the stairs, when Al...Guy warned me about the enemy knight whose symbol was a panther on a sea of orange.”
“Why’d you only flirt?” she asked, relieved for some reason.
“How could I court her? I had nothing to offer. Even if I’d been given a parcel of land by Guy, I know nothing of farming. I have no trade. I can’t mill grain, cobble on shoes, or thatch a roof. My training was as a warrior. My trade was killing the enemies of the king.”
“What did you mean when you spoke of Alex and Shakira’s lives are centered on each other, ‘as it should be, as it was in my time’?”
“Their business is their own. You should put your question before them.”
Stephen phrased his answer so it sounded like they’d gone back in time at some point, which was impossible, of course. But no way was she going to question the Lancasters or even mention what he said. As his friends, they might take offense to any comment from her. A bad word from them or Miranda and her chances of any future job at the History Channel would vaporize.
“If you have come forward, then why hasn’t Alex or Shakira said something? They’d know the truth.”
“Perhaps they choose not to speak rather than hear the disbelief in other voices like that I hear in yours.”
Esme tried a different approach instead of a blanket denial. “Stephen, what’s the last thing you remember after receiving the blow to your helm?”
“I was unhorsed, crawled on the ground thinking to escape my attacker. When I thought I knocked at death’s door, I called to Arthur.”
“When do you believe the time change happened?”
“Right after that. The next thing I knew, a Frenchman who denied we were at war tried to reassure me. Wails from hell blared, strange men came and took me to the hospital, where I awoke to learn I was in a different time.”
“I want you to think about what you just said. If you time-traveled, then why did no one else come forward too? Guy died. Simon lived to die in England years later. Wouldn’t your horse have come? Wasn’t he next to you while you were on the ground?”
Stephen nodded.
“Then why didn’t he come forward? What happened to the French knight? Stephen, you have to see how...how...” Esme searched for a non-offense word. “How improbable your story is.”
He straightened. Chest out, spine rigid, his blind eyes, clear and pale blue didn’t quite fix on her. “I have been instructed to let people think I am mad as the truth is unacceptable to them. I am not mad. I told you the truth. I grow weary of living this lie, especially where you are concerned.”
“Thank you, I think.” The declaration flummoxed her. As usual, any hidden meaning was lost on her. She removed the towel from his shoulders. “Come on, I’ll take you to a barber in the town. He can finish cutting your hair. I don’t want to make a worse mess of it.”
“Ah, now you admit to being a mess maker. Handy information I could’ve used earlier.”
“It’s hair. It will grow back so stop grumbling. While you’re at the barber’s, I’m running to the library.”
“Why?”
“Gloucester has the best library in the shire. I need a book on French heraldic symbols. I’m going to look for your French knight.”






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