K. C. Bateman, a fellow Romance Writers of America member, stopped by to share her newest book, which you can pre-order now! Take it away!
The Devil To Pay is a Renaissance Italy-set
Historical Romance featuring a ruthless mercenary skilled in
the art of conquest, an heiress who refuses to be tamed, and a
devilishly sexy bargain . . .
Release
date 28 Aug 2018. It is available
for $1.99 pre-order until release.
Not
part of a series.
Book Blurb
Italy,
1492.
Cara di Montessori has a price upon her
head. Her traitorous uncle has murdered her father and seized her
home. Her only hope of survival, and of regaining her birthright, is an
alliance with her childhood nemesis, the infamous mercenary Il Diavolo. The
most irritating—and seductive—man Cara’s ever met.
Battle
hardened and world-weary, Alessandro del Sarto has earned the sobriquet Il
Diavolo. He needs a politically expedient marriage to secure the lasting peace
he craves, but the simpering ladies of court hold little interest. More than
anything, he longs for a challenge.
Headstrong
beauty Cara has always been Il Diavolo’s only weakness, the one woman he’s
never been able to forget. When she appears at his door begging for help,
the two strike a devil’s bargain. In return for his assistance, for two weeks
Cara must entertain his guests, relieve his boredom—and warm his bed.
Cara has no intention of succumbing to del
Sarto’s studied seduction, but the passion that simmers between them is more
potent than her paper twists of gunpowder. Surrounded by danger and intrigue,
she must choose between what she’s always thought of as her destiny, and what
could be the greatest prize of all—her heart’s desire.
Excerpt from The Devil To Pay
Chapter 1.
Central Italy, June 1492.
Cara
di Montessori was sick of people
trying to kill her.
As
a child she’d trailed her father through some of the most godforsaken places in
Christendom, so it had been a rare week that hadn’t included a scimitar-wielding Saracen or
bloodthirsty Moor trying to send her to the afterlife. But familiarity with the
experience did not make it any more enjoyable. And besides, those instances had
been impersonal, only to be expected of campaigning, whereas this attempt was personal in the
extreme. ‘Uncle’ Lorenzo did not want her alive to dispute his seizure of
Castelleon.
His
men were proving annoyingly persistent. He must have offered a ransom to keep
them on her tail, and though Cara doubted her life was worth a great deal,
everyone had their price. In truth, she was staking her life on that very
premise, about to make a pact with the Devil himself.
If
she could reach him.
Alessandro
del Sarto, ‘Il Diavolo,’ was the last
person in Italy she would have chosen to ask for help, but engaging his dubious
talents was her only hope of staying alive and regaining her home. He was condottiero. A killer for hire.
Cara
wrinkled her nose in distaste. Mercenary described both del Sarto’s profession
and his nature. Il Diavolo sold himself to the highest bidder. He didn’t care
which side won or lost, or whether the cause was worth fighting for, only
whether the victor could pay his exorbitant fees. Every monarch in Europe
wanted him. And now she needed him, too.
‘Better
to dance with the devil you know,’ Father used to say. Well, she hadn’t seen this
particular devil in six long years, not since she was sixteen. He’d knocked her
on her backside, then kissed her until she’d seen stars. She’d threatened to
kill him in return. He’d haunted her dreams ever since.
Cara shivered. She hated
being cold. At least if she ended up in hell for bartering her soul she’d be
warm. She nudged her exhausted horse forward and wished—for perhaps the
hundredth time—that she’d stolen a mount with a better saddle. The urge to slump over the animal’s
scrawny neck was so strong. She hadn’t eaten for two days, hadn’t dared stop
for more than an hour at most. Every jolt of the animal’s hooves reopened the
wound at her ribs and brought a fresh wave of dizziness and pain. Perchance the
quick slash of an assassin’s blade would be preferable to dying slowly of blood
loss?
No. She would reach Il Diavolo. She had hundreds of things
she wanted to do before leaving this world, and she’d hardly managed to achieve
any of them. Quite apart from avenging her father’s death and regaining her
home, she planned on dying a wrinkled old crone in a nice warm bed, surrounded
by a huge and loving family. A young, heroic death was all very well in
principle, but it looked extremely unappealing now it was a distinct
possibility.
Whirling lights crowded her vision like fireflies and Cara
shook her head. The stumbling horse crested a rise, and she let out a
breathless prayer of thanks. There it was, outlined against the deepening
twilight; Torre di San Rocco, the fortified city strongold of Italy’s most
infamous son.
Cara kicked the horse into an exhausted trot. She would
reach Il Diavolo, or die trying.
Buy Links:
Kate
Bateman, writing as K. C. Bateman, is
the #1 Amazon bestselling author of Regency
and Renaissance historical
romances, including To Steal a Heart, A Raven’s Heart and
A Counterfeit Heart. Her books feature feisty, intelligent
heroines, (badasses in bodices!) wickedly inappropriate banter, and heroes you
want to both strangle and kiss. When not writing, Kate leads a double life as a
fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the
UK. She currently lives in Illinois with a number-loving husband and three
inexhaustible children, and regularly returns to her native England ‘for
research.’ Connect with her here:
Also by K. C. Bateman...
I am so glad you stopped by to share your stories. I am reading TO STEAL A HEART right now. Fantastic!
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