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Silver sweater.1

Have you ever had an idea in the middle of the night, written it down, and placed it in your ideas folder? And then forgotten all about it?

Yeah. One of those ideas.

While sorting through files yesterday, I came across a folder with book ideas in it, but it wasn’t in the place it should have been. Opening the file, I recognized the other ideas, but I couldn’t remember the last one.

Turns out it was another story line for the Speranza Series. Idea title–An English Werewolf on Gambler’s Folly.

Like I didn’t have enough on my plate from Gambler’s already…

Watch for The Russian later this year. It will be Book 3 from Gambler’s Folly, in the Speranza Series.

Next up after that will be a book in the Esperance Series–Talents–the continuing story of Viviane and introducing the new heir of Belfort. Connell is a ten year old little boy who must now train to become ruler of his clan. And he’s not happy…

Looking for something to read? Fantasy romance, paranormal romance, or a touch of magic?

Amazon

http://bit.ly/Mellie_Am

Audible

https://www.audible.com/author/Mellie-Miller/B00954K2C8

Smashwords

http://bit.ly/MellieMiller_SW

 

Books.1Talents

MOF Woman Rules his heart

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I know, I know.

It has been a while.

But I have been writing. Honest!

How about an excerpt from Master of the Fleet? And maybe a snippet from a WIP?

MASTER OF THE FLEET

Anne-Marie was tired from the trip, but where was she to sleep? They’d brought Richard to the first

room they could reach when he’d collapsed. This was a single room, with one small bed

and a sofa.

Richard was stretched out on his back taking up the whole bed. There wouldn’t have been room

for her, anyway, in such a tiny bed. His feet were sticking out the end and his right arm was on the

verge of falling off the bed. Everything from his elbow down hung out in mid-air.

Rummaging in the wardrobe, she found a blanket she could use. Maybe she could get another

one from the desk. Carefully closing the door, she went  to ask the clerk for more blankets,

which he generously provided her.

“I am sorry about the room, Madame. We had a different one reserved for you on the second

floor. The men who carried your husband from the coach didn’t know who he was, so we put

him in there. I’d no idea he’d still be sleeping. Is there anything else I can get you?”

Back in the room, she made up the sofa, changed into a nightgown, and went back to sit

with Richard. His arm over the edge of the bed couldn’t be comfortable. As she tucked it

back up under the covers, she remarked on how heavy an arm is when it’s totally limp.

She knew he’d have been more comfortable if he’d had time to change out of his travel clothes,

but doubted she could undress him. Instead, she unbuttoned the first few buttons on his shirt,

loosened his belt and trousers, and tucked the covers around him again.

Why was she so concerned? She wasn’t in love with the man. True, he had been

very kind to her, both before their marriage and since. Maybe she simply needed him

to get back home. Once there, they would have to sort out a lot of things,

but they had to get there first.

It couldn’t be love. That door had been closed for ages. She had given up all hope for love

a long time ago. When she fell asleep and nearly toppled off the chair, she crawled under

the blankets on the sofa. Richard still lay as one dead. What would he be like

when he finally woke up?

 

THE RUSSIAN–Book 3 from Gambler’s Folly

If it hadn’t been for her scent, he would have been fine. Lilacs with honeyed-

vanilla and white musk had wrapped around him softly. Hazel eyes under blonde curls had

drawn him in. He’d thought, after all this time, he had control over his urges.

What had possessed him to kiss her?

Her mouth now, there was a treat. Fresh raspberries and sweet white wine still teased

his palette. Between her scent and her taste,he was one messed up wolf. He wanted

to run through the forest, roll in the leaves, and howl to his pack mates

about this delicious female he’d met.

No, he wouldn’t see her again. He didn’t need a relationship.

Life around him was too uncertain.

Besides, he’d had a mate long ago and, when she’d died, she’d taken his heart to her grave.

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What sale, you ask? The one over at Smashwords!

All my books on Smashword are 50% off during this last week in July. So through July 31, you can buy any of my books at half the cover price!

In the meantime, I’ve been working on Ben of Blackstone’s Forge. This will be Book 4 from Esperance. The story of Ben Blackstone, the blacksmith’s son and Deborah Wills, the farmer’s daughter, looking for happiness on their magical highland world.

But for now, go over to Smashwords and save!

http://bit.ly/MellieMiller_SW

esperance-series-covers

Speranza the Series

Front cover With Text

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Silver sweater.1

Colonized and then abandoned, Esperance was torn apart by disease and unrest when supplies from Earth failed to appear. After a short time, chaos reigned, as those few left clawed for survival in the ruins of their past.

Eventually a few men rose out of the chaos, men with unusual abilities, who brought back the rule of law. Dividing the lands and people into clans, they built a world of their own on the ashes of the old.

Several hundred years later, a strong leader rose in Clan Brannach–First Lord Jareth. Young, widowed, with no heir, he knows he must find a mate, but his heart isn’t in it.

Until he meets Viviane.

The youngest daughter of the House of Belfort, Viviane is a young widow, having recently lost her husband to an accident. Wanting to remain independent from her family, she is nearly out of options when First Lord Jareth rides in with demands, including The Choosing.

Now one of the chosen, she is taken from her clan to Clan Brannach, to be courted by this dark, powerful, and mysterious First Lord.

But can she open her heart to love once again?

Come with me and meet the people of Esperance–Jareth and Viviane, James and Morgan, Connell and Nellie, Ben and Deborah…

Follow their lives and loves on this highland world full of mischief, romance and magic.

Amazon

http://bit.ly/Mellie_Am

Books-a-Million

http://bit.ly/MMiller_BAM

Barnes and Noble

http://bit.ly/B_N_authorpage

 

Smashwords

http://bit.ly/MellieMiller_SW

Jareth Cover art _web.smallEsperance2_webPixie and the Green Man Front2.a

 

 

 

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Summer is a great time for reading. Looking for something new to you? How about something from Esperance or Gambler’s Folly?

OK, you’ve heard about the sale going on over at Smashwords. Right? Where all my books are 50% off through July 31?

But maybe you don’t shop at Smashwords. Where else can you find my books?

Amazon

http://bit.ly/Mellie_Am

Books-a-Million

http://bit.ly/MMiller_BAM

Barnes and Noble

http://bit.ly/B_N_authorpage

And don’t forget to search for Sultonna Nadine, my pen name for stand-alones.

So wherever you shop, you can find the books in my series.

Have a great summer and a great weekend!

Speranza the Series

esperance-series-covers

MOF Woman Rules his heart

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And who doesn’t love a sale?

Smashword’s July Summer/Winter Sale begins July 1 and continues all month. And all my books are enrolled in the event.

So if you’re missing a book in one of my series, or want to try something new, now’s your chance.

All my books, under both Mellie Miller and Sultonna Nadine, will be 50% off during the month of July!

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/meleigh53

Esperance Series:

Jareth, First Lord

Viviane, First Lady

Morgan–The Pixie and the Green Man

 

Speranza Series:

Gambler’s Folly

Dante’s Angel

 

Sultonna Nadine

Master of the Fleet

esperance-series-covers

Speranza the Series

MOF Woman Rules his heart

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This is the question people always have. What was the inspiration?

Most of my story ideas came from dreams–recurring dreams which wouldn’t stop until I’d written the scene. These stories include all the Esperance books and a couple of my stand-alones.

One–Gambler’s Folly–came from a folk song I heard about a man winning his wife in a card game. I got to wondering how that could happen now, or in the future.

The next story in the Gambler’s Folly series, The Russian, was inspired by a face. I decided the person involved  looked like someone who could be a werewolf and wondered how he would fit into the series.

And Master of the Fleet?

Well, I have at various times been involved with the SCA–Society for Creative Anachronism. Taking inspiration from the feasting and tournaments, my mind wandered from there to choreographing sword fights. Somewhere along the way, staging a fake sword fight as part of the entertainment at a feast began to play around in my head. But what if the fight wasn’t staged? What if it was real?

And that is the idea I built the first part of Master of the Fleet around. The wealthy owner of a shipping firm hoping to marry a successful seamstress agrees to take her home for the festival season. What he doesn’t know is that she is only playing him for what she can get, never intending to marry.

At the baron’s feast, she gets tipsy, and begins flirting with every man around. When her escort mentions it, she draws a dagger and attempts to stab him across the table. In self-defence, he takes the dagger away and decides the affair is over. Still angry, the lady grabs up a sword from somewhere and again tries to kill him, only to be disarmed and backed up to the baron’s table.

From there, I developed the setting for the story–an America much more heavily influenced by the French and divided into kingdoms, SCA fashion, instead of into states. This is an America without the internal combustion engine, set around the end of the 1800’s in an alternate time-line, where elemental magic is real. Magic is used to bind contracts, marriages, and control the weather for shipping.

Haven’t read Master of the Fleet? It’s available on Amazon, Smashwords, and at most major book sellers.

Want more?

Esperance Series

http://bit.ly/EsperanceAM

Gambler’s Folly

http://bit.ly/GamblersFolly_Am

 

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…are perfect for reading.

Have you read Master of the Fleet?

He’s a weather shaper, controlling the elements wind and water, to keep his ships safe out at sea.

She’s the lovely lady who has captured his heart. But she has a dark secret, which doesn’t come out until she is bound to him by a blood oath and marriage vows.

How about an excerpt?

One evening about halfway through that last week, Anne-Marie looked up into his eyes. He had been morose since dinner, contemplating the journey back to the Côte, and wondering how he was going to cope with the circumstances he now faced.

“Richard, I’m sorry,” she said. “If I could go back and relive the evening of the banquet, knowing what I do now… But I can’t.”

“What do you suggest we do?” he asked angrily. “I’m bound to a woman who will never enjoy being with me, never be excited by my touch or my kiss.”

“I can’t help it, Richard. Maybe, in time, I will enjoy being touched. I don’t know.”

Sighing, Richard shook his head as he twirled the wine in his goblet. “All I ever wanted was for my wife to be my closest companion. In my bed, I hoped to bring her pleasure and make her happy to be my lover. I have no interest in simply using you to relieve my urges.”

“I will try, Richard, but I can’t promise. I never wanted to marry. Not after seeing what the worst of the drunkards do to women. I’ve seen only the scum of the world, not the cream of the crop.”

“I appreciate how you’ve shown affection when we’re out. I know it’s an act, but I appreciate the effort.”

“I’ve always enjoyed being out with you, but I won’t be a possession or a servant. I want to be my own person, not a prized catch to show off.”

“Have I ever treated you that way?” he asked as his temper began to rise.

“No, but now we’re married. The pursued has become the captured, and that can make all the difference.”

That night, when they went up to their room, Anne-Marie went into the dressing room to change for bed. Richard took the spare comforter, a blanket, and a pillow, to make up a bed on the floor.

He finished undressing as she stared at him, with her lips parted and disbelief in her eyes. If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought she was disappointed.

“Richard, please,” she tried once more.

“Bonne-nuit, Anne-Marie. Sweet dreams.”

As he tried to get comfortable on his makeshift pallet, he heard his wife get into bed, pull up the blankets, and turn over. A few minutes later, he heard her crying, muffling the sound with the bed clothes. He waited for her to stop, but she continued to sob into her pillow.

“Anne-Marie,” he called softly. “Anne-Marie?”

“Go to sleep, Richard.”

“Why are you crying?”

“I’m fine. Go to sleep,” she answered between choked breaths.

MOF Woman Rules his heart

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…are perfect for reading.

Have you read Master of the Fleet?

He’s a weather shaper, controlling the elements wind and water, to keep his ships safe out at sea.

She’s the lovely lady who has captured his heart. But she has a dark secret, which doesn’t come out until she is bound to him by a blood oath and marriage vows.

How about an excerpt?

One evening about halfway through that last week, Anne-Marie looked up into his eyes. He had been morose since dinner, contemplating the journey back to the Côte, and wondering how he was going to cope with the circumstances he now faced.

“Richard, I’m sorry,” she said. “If I could go back and relive the evening of the banquet, knowing what I do now… But I can’t.”

“What do you suggest we do?” he asked angrily. “I’m bound to a woman who will never enjoy being with me, never be excited by my touch or my kiss.”

“I can’t help it, Richard. Maybe, in time, I will enjoy being touched. I don’t know.”

Sighing, Richard shook his head as he twirled the wine in his goblet. “All I ever wanted was for my wife to be my closest companion. In my bed, I hoped to bring her pleasure and make her happy to be my lover. I have no interest in simply using you to relieve my urges.”

“I will try, Richard, but I can’t promise. I never wanted to marry. Not after seeing what the worst of the drunkards do to women. I’ve seen only the scum of the world, not the cream of the crop.”

“I appreciate how you’ve shown affection when we’re out. I know it’s an act, but I appreciate the effort.”

“I’ve always enjoyed being out with you, but I won’t be a possession or a servant. I want to be my own person, not a prized catch to show off.”

“Have I ever treated you that way?” he asked as his temper began to rise.

“No, but now we’re married. The pursued has become the captured, and that can make all the difference.”

That night, when they went up to their room, Anne-Marie went into the dressing room to change for bed. Richard took the spare comforter, a blanket, and a pillow, to make up a bed on the floor.

He finished undressing as she stared at him, with her lips parted and disbelief in her eyes. If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought she was disappointed.

“Richard, please,” she tried once more.

“Bonne-nuit, Anne-Marie. Sweet dreams.”

As he tried to get comfortable on his makeshift pallet, he heard his wife get into bed, pull up the blankets, and turn over. A few minutes later, he heard her crying, muffling the sound with the bed clothes. He waited for her to stop, but she continued to sob into her pillow.

“Anne-Marie,” he called softly. “Anne-Marie?”

“Go to sleep, Richard.”

“Why are you crying?”

“I’m fine. Go to sleep,” she answered between choked breaths.

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My latest WIP is set on Esperance and features Ben, the son of the village blacksmith, of Blacksmith’s Forge. His family and the Wills family have been friends far longer than Ben has been alive, and he has always been fond of Deborah, the eldest Wills daughter.

But something happened when he went away for a few years to finish training for his journeyman’s ranking. When he returned to his home village, she was distant, angry, and did her best to drive him away. While he was saddened by her demeanor, it was her choice.

Until her father chose to arrange a marriage for her. And his father suggested he go and talk to Mr. Wills about it.

How about an excerpt from Ben of Blackstone’s Forge?

 

“Come here, little girl,” he said, taking her into his arms. “Why didn’t

you come to me when I got back?”

“I was afraid of him, and afraid of how you would react. I thought you’d

never want to see me again.”

“Is that why you put on the wicked witch act?” he asked.

“Yes. I thought if I drove you away, I wouldn’t have to deal with any of this.”

Thinking back on growing up in the village, he had to shake his head.

“Deb, who has always been there for you?”

“You have, Ben.”

“And who has looked after you?”

“You again.”

“Who took the whipping for the window you broke out of old Mrs.

Covington’s front room?”

“I’m so sorry, Ben. I would have confessed.”

“Yes, but then you would have got the whipping, and I couldn’t stand seeing you cry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“And who climbed twenty feet up a damned tree to fetch down a kitten

who didn’t want to be rescued?” he demanded.

With a giggle, she admitted it was him.

“Yeah. And the little bastard tried to claw his way out of my shirt. All those

little claws hooked into my chest as he tried to climb out. I could have bled

to death.”

“Now, Ben, I got the disinfectant and washed all the scratches,” she

reminded him.

“Which was nearly as bad as the scratches. That stuff burned.”

“It wasn’t that bad. You were just being a baby. I put some healing ointment on afterwards.”

“Which did nothing for the pain, I might add.”

“You are such a wimp, Ben Blackstone.”

After a quiet moment of reflection, he looked over and said, “We had some fun, didn’t we?”

“We did.”

Watch for Blackstone’s Forge.

In the meantime, check out my other Esperance books on Amazon,  Smashwords, or any major bookseller.

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