And none was so ruthless, bold, or dangerously seductive as the condemned outlaw known only as Blacksword. In return for safe escort to her ancestral castle, Rosalynde was forced to marry the black-hearted rogue, never dreaming that holy wedlock would fan the flames of unholy desire.The fate of his noble name rested on his massive shoulders. Savage fires of vengeance seared his soul. Wielder of the coveted Blacksword, Sir Aric of Wycliffe vowed death to the treacherous enemy who sought to destroy him. Until his heart was bested by the enchanting maiden who'd saved him from the hangman's noose. Bound together by ancient custom, the brazen knight demanded no less than his sweet Rose's total surrender. But even as revenge and honor warred within him, he would be undone by the most seductive conqueror of all ... wild, irresistible love.

    With scandal nipping at her heels, to avoid total social ruin, Elizabeth must present a fiancé by the end of the Season. But when the viscount proves reluctant, Elizabeth is forced to employ a seduction of a different sort...With his seduction he is determined to ruin herViscount Derek Creswell believes Elizabeth set out to trap him into marriage. After all, her sister attempted the very same thing with his brother six years before. Now the delectable Miss Smith expects a betrothal and a ring, while Derek finds her ruination infinitely more appealing...But as Derek sets out to seduce only her body, Elizabeth is intent on claiming his jaded heart.This is a novella and 29,000 words. Included is a three chapter excerpt of the third full-length book in The Elusive Lords series, AN HEIR OF DECEPTION. The total word count for this book is 43,000 + words. Prior books in The Elusive Lords series are:SINFUL SURRENDER (Book #1)A TASTE OF DESIRE (Book #2)

    But when he finally fetches his bride-to-be from a secluded English convent, he finds he needs more than his knight's spurs to bring order to his life.When she was betrothed at fifteen to the legendary English knight she had never met, Lady Clio of Camrose believed that love was something magical. But her youthful hopes faded as she languished in a convent for six long years, never hearing a word from Merrick.Weary of war, Lord Merrick finds little peace guarding the wild Welsh borders, and even less with the wife whose trust he destroyed. But as Lady Clio comes to understand the dark knight she so blindly wed, she sees a chance to make her dreams come true. Amid the enchanted mists that envelop Camrose Castle, they will battle together to discover a place where all things are possible, even a love that is rare and wonderful.

    But Lady Margaret of Blackthorne cannot yield to the bold Norman invader.The beloved daughter of a sacred tribe of Celtic mystics, she fears an ancient curse that could bring further turmoil to her battle-scarred land...and sorrow to her marriage bed. With a word, the lady could turn her wedding into war.But there awaits in the noble knight's embrace a promise of passion unbound— and a love that neither violence nor treachery can tear asunder, a love both invincible and.

    But he can't find his way alone.A partner is required.Fantine (Fanny) Delarive is perfect. She knows the slums better than any, has survived its labyrinth alone for years, and knows every criminal lurking in every dark corner.Then, the investigation detours the pair into the bright ballrooms of the ton.And Fantine fits in here, too.Which changes everything.Lord Chadwick knows a woman of Fantine's ilk is entirely unsuitable for him. But she's infinitely more exciting than any well-born lady he's ever met.Now much more than an acquaintance with the independent, self-reliant Fantine is required... and it must end with nothing less than marriage.

    An outlaw known as the Black Wolf of Lincoln dares to stand before the slender, golden loveliness of Lady Servanne de Briscourt—and in one swift, trembling moment, the future of a kingdom is changed.Betrothed to Prince John's champion, the Dragon Lord of Bloodmoor Keep, Servanne becomes the unwilling pawn in a treacherous game...and the defiant love of a dangerous rogue whose secrets can rock a throne. Together they will be swept into the rich pageantry of royal power, throwing wide the huge gates of Bloodmoor to unleash the fury of a thousand armored knights. All the ancient hatreds spawned by a family's sins are revealed, threatening the lives—and the reckless love—of the Black Wolf and the only woman who can tame his bold, wild heart.

    With a loophole that allows him to marry another without consequence before the thirtieth anniversary of his birth, he has only four weeks to find another woman and make her his wife. Being the logical scientist he is, Alex decides to take his friend's advice and treat his quest for a bride just like a science experiment... Caroline Sinclair is still trying to scrape her jaw off the floor after hearing her cousin, Lady Olivia's, latest announcement when the object of their conversation, Alex Banks, Olivia's intended, arrives for what Caroline assumes is a bout of drawing room chitchat with his betrothed. But when an experiment is mentioned, Caroline, who cannot resist a science experiment any more than she can deny her lungs air, volunteers to help before she even knows what his latest experiment is!

    Unable to find new work, she’s demanding compensation from the man who got her sacked: a petty, selfish, swinish duke. But it’s not the duke she fears. It’s his merciless man of business—the man known as the Wolf of Clermont. The formidable former pugilist has a black reputation for handling all the duke’s dirty business, and when the duke turns her case over to him, she doesn’t stand a chance. But she can’t stop trying—not with her entire future at stake.He cannot give in…Hugo Marshall is a man of ruthless ambition—a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner’s son to the right hand man of a duke. When his employer orders him to get rid of the pestering governess by fair means or foul, it’s just another day at the office. Unfortunately, fair means don’t work on Serena, and as he comes to know her, he discovers that he can’t bear to use foul ones. But everything he has worked for depends upon seeing her gone. He’ll have to choose between the life that he needs, and the woman he is coming to love…

    Though custom dictates she wed her father’s apprentice, her heart rebels against the match. In mere days Amy will be condemned to a stifling, loveless marriage, and she sees no way out—until the devastating fire of 1666 sweeps through London, and tragedy lands her in the arms of a dashing nobleman who knows a diamond in the rough when he sees it…Colin Chase, the Earl of Greystone, has his future all figured out. He’s restoring his crumbling castle and estate to its former glory, and the key to its completion is his rich bride-to-be. But the Great Fire lays waste to his plans, saddling him with trouble—in the form of a lowly shopkeeper’s daughter with whom he’s most inconveniently falling in love...

    But the arrival of darkly handsome Collin Blackburn awakens her curiosity and her desire - and the advantage of being a fallen woman is that she can be ruined only once...After a promise sworn to his father, Collin Blackburn is compelled to seek the aid of the woman who brought about his brother's death in a senseless duel. Yet Lady Alexandra is not the shameless femme fatale he expected. In fact, Collin suspects she is guilty of nothing more than a hunger to experience passion, and the brawny Scot is certainly equipped to oblige. But the quick-witted, keenly sensual Alexandra has a few lessons of her own to impart - on life, love, and the delicious joys of succumbing to temptation...

    She will never accept such bondage — and Reina offers herself to her kidnapped instead, offering to make Ranulf a great lord...if he agrees to wed her.But the brave knight desires much more than a marriage of convenience from this proud, headstrong lady who treats him with scorn yet makes his blood run hotter than liquid fire. She must come to him of her own free will — or Ranulf will take her. For the passion that consumes them both cannot long be denied — even though gravest peril surely awaits them on the heart's trail to a destines and turbulent love.

    . .Now a royal command to wed would restore all he had lost—but at what price? For though marriage to landed, beauteous Emalie Montgomerie seemed to present no hardship, his countess harbored a secret dangerous enough to destroy them both! They were bound by decree, but would they ever find happiness?Though she held her honor unblemished in her heart, Emalie Montgomerie knew coming unchaste to the bridal bed was a sin unforgivable in a noblewoman. Still, the desire flaring in Christian's eyes offered her hope...but would the prideful Dumont ever accept another man's babe as his own?

    She risks everything to rescue the fierce MacGrath warrior from the battlefield where he’s left for dead by her clan. She only knows she is inexplicably drawn to him and he wants peace as she does. When her clan learns of her betrayal, they seek vengeance. Dare she trust the enemy more than her own family?Laird Alasdair MacGrath is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins. But by taking in and protecting Lady Gwyneth and her son, he provokes more attacks from his mortal enemy. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. With the arrival of a powerful man from her past, a horrible decision confronts her--give up her son or the man she loves.

    And he has no choice but to see them all wed in haste.Lady Madeline’s heart is not for sale…especially not to a notorious outlaw like Rhys FitzHenry. Yet Madeline’s hand has been sold, to none other than this battle-weary warrior with a price on his head. A more dutiful maiden might cede to the Laird’s command and meekly accept her fate, but Madeline has never been obedient. She decides to run away, though she never dreams that Rhys will pursue her.She does not expect this taciturn man to woo her with fanciful stories, much less that each of his enthralling tales will reveal a scar upon his shielded soul. She never imagines that a man like Rhys could imperil her own heart while revealing so little of his own feelings. When Rhys’ past threatens his future, Madeline takes a leap of faith. She dares to believe him innocent—and risks her own life to pursue a passion more priceless than the rarest gem.

    But for her brother’s sake, she agrees to wed, sight unseen, the younger son of an English baron. The betrothal has been arranged by her brother’s old friend and fellow Crusade veteran Thorne Falconer, a landless knight in service to the baron. Born into wretched poverty, the powerful and handsome Thorne pursues the one thing that separates the rich and the poor: land. As a reward for finding a wife for the hot-headed young Edmund, Thorne is to receive what he most craves, a grand manor of his own. Neither Martine nor Thorne counts on their overwhelming attraction to each other. As the two improbably lovers struggle to deny their desire, they are drawn into a passion so fiery it sweeps away everything but all-consuming love. Originally published by NAL, Falcon’s fire was nominated by Romantic Times Magazine as Best First Historical Romance; nominated by the Literary Times as Outstanding Historical; Golden Heart finalist. "A powerful debut historical novel by an exciting new talent, Falcon's Fire will ignite your imagination and passion for medieval romances." Romantic Times "A richly textured pageant of passion. A grand adventure!" New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs "Falcon's Fire is a fast-paced, vividly detailed medieval romance filled with several interesting and very memorable characters. Of noted interest to readers will be the variety of intriguing female personalities in Patricia Ryan's terrific tale. Patricia Ryan is definitely an author to watch!" Affaire de Coeur "Destined to become an all time favorite among medieval fans." The Medieval Chronicle "An exceptionally good and beautifully told story." Rendezvous "Magnificent! Patricia Ryan is wonderful!" The Literary Times About the Author: Patricia Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen romances and mysteries, including the #1 national bestseller Still Life With Murder. Her novels have garnered rave reviews and been published in over twenty countries. A RITA® winner (for Silken Threads) and four-time nominee, she is also the recipient of three Romantic Times Awards and a Mary Higgins Clark Award nomination for the second book of her historical mystery series featuring Boston governess Nell Sweeney, which she wrote under the name P.B. Ryan. To find out about new print and audiobook editions, freebies, discounts, and giveaways, be sure to subscribe to Pat's newsletter at patricia-ryan.com. And if you would like to receive an email when Pat publishes a new book, just follow the Patricia Ryan and P.B. Ryan author links at the top of this page and click the big yellow "Follow" button.