R-excerpt w/blurb: Sherwood Charade (time-travel romance)

Some are born to greatness. Others have it thrust upon them. Marian Allanson would prefer to avoid it, period. Emotionally scarred, and haunted by nightly dreams of the mythical Robin Hood, Marian is just limping through life till a mysterious quirk of fate tosses her and twelve-year-old street kid Orlando Konstantinos centuries into the past.

Now she's on a full-scale run through medieval Sherwood, threatened by the Sheriff of Nottingham, and discovering there may be truth to the myth, after all. A forest phantom appears out of the shadows to rescue her from death, then disappears again, leaving her to a different danger in the form of a forced marriage to Lord Roland of Hunterdon, a man hot enough to melt a maid's skivvies (despite the fact underwear hasn't been invented yet). To make matters worse, when the old sheriff is murdered, Roland steps into the job with plans to kill Robin Hood, unless Marian can stop him. Or will Roland be the one to die?

With the questions striking deeper than Robin's arrows, and a sudden uncertainty as to who's the villain and who's the hero, "Maid Marian" has much more to worry about than her missing unmentionables. And speaking of missing, where the devil is Orlando? Before the secrets crack open and the dust clears, an unlikely heroine will rise from her own ashes, a legend will be rewritten, and a love will be forged strong enough to conquer time...

SHERWOOD CHARADE
Robin Hood time-travel romance
EPPIE Finalist
PNR Reviewers Top Pick
---
Published by Amber Quill Press
Cover by Trace Edward Zaber
---
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-201-9 (electronic)
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-952-0 (paperback)
URL: http://amberquill.com/SherwoodCharade.html

Review snips:
"You'll be swept back in time with the author's vivid descriptions of the era, while being immersed in the magic of legend itself. A must read!" ~Karen Michelle Nutt, for PNR
http://www.paranormalromance.org/reviews/review.php?id=27512

"When the final secrets are revealed (and there is more than one!) this story of love, romance and fantasy will have you smiling incessantly... Sherwood Charade is a real keeper." ~by Donna for ARR
http://www.aromancereview.com/reviews/index.php?app_state=show_event&bookid=14064

"It captures your attention from the beginning. Twists and turns keep you hanging on until the last word. Ms. Riser sends you on a thrilling mind vacation that you will not soon forget." ~Matilda, for CTR
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Sherwoodcharade.html

=============
EXCERPT:

“Bloody hell--” Robin grabbed for the reins as the mare reared high. Too late. He toppled backward and landed with a grunt on the ground. “Oof.”

“Oh!” Maid Marian landed face-first flat on top of him.

Both lay panting as their transport disappeared down the path.

“Thank you,” Marian called after her.

“Wench.” Robin rolled them over, pinning her beneath him. “Are you happy now?” His whisper reverberated in the darkness.

Marian peered into the shadows of his hood, trying to guess where his mouth was. “I’ll be happier when you kiss me. How about it?”

He made a noise between a groan and a growl.

Was that a yes or a no?

She felt his breath on her face. So close... Her arms snaked around his neck and pulled him closer.

“Never mind, I’ll kiss you instead,” she said, and joined him in his hood. Her mouth found his on the first try.

He tensed, jerked back--then caved in completely, pressed her hard into the ground.

Lips parted. Limbs tangled. Time stopped.

Electric. The kiss struck her like lightning, burned clear through to her core, sliced her open and left her quivering, bleeding, dying for more. Hot need pulsed deep inside, a hungry ache between her thighs--

“Lady...please...” Robin pulled back, panting.

No, no, no--don’t stop! She grabbed his hood with both hands, yanked him down, and dove straight back in. Her mouth plundered his, licking, nipping, sucking...

A crazy woman. Crazy for Robin. Mmmm... She wanted to eat him alive.

He stiffened against her, his whole body rigid--one part of him especially. A steel rod dug into her abdomen.

Robin groaned, dragged his lips away from her. “Marian...” His breath came ragged. “We have to stop this... Now... There’s something I have to tell you--”

“Later. I’m busy now.” She locked her legs behind his knees when he tried to push away. One hand pulled him back by his hood, the other raked down his back...made a marvelous discovery.

“You’re not wearing anything under your tunic,” she murmured against his mouth.

A shudder racked through him as her hand touched his buttocks. “My ap-pologies,” he choked out. “I had...no time for the niceties of braes or hose today.”

“I’m not complaining. I don’t seem to be wearing any panties, either.” She’d just noticed that, in fact. How historically accurate. And how convenient. “Want to see?”

“No!”

Too bad.

She stroked his bare flesh. Smooth, warm, firm... Goodness, he had a great ass. She dug in her fingers and squeezed--then gasped as he bucked free from her legs and heaved back. Clinging to his hood, she went with him. He landed on his great ass. She landed on her stomach with her face in his lap.

Oh my. He had a great erection, too.

Marian let go of one head to examine another. She lifted his tunic and stared at the shadowy monster hiding beneath. Her eyes went wide in the darkness. Good God, he was huge. Had he ever been this big before? Her breath hitched. How had she fit him inside? She had a flicker of panic wondering if he’d fit now.

Oy... Only one way to find out. Trembling but determined, she rose to her knees and hoisted her gown.

“W-wait!” Robin’s voice cracked. “What are you doing?”

Stupid question.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Wriggling forward, she advanced on him.

“Oh no--” There was a frantic crunching of twigs as he scrambled to his feet.

Marian’s hand shot out and closed around his shaft. “Oh yes.”

“Arrgggh!”

Why did he sound like he was strangling? She wasn’t tugging that hard. “This is my dream, and if I say we make love, we make love, damn it. Use it or lose it, big boy.”

“Will you please listen to me-- Uhhh.” His rump reconnected with earth as he lost the tug-of-war. “This is no dream,” he finished weakly.

“How the heck would you know? You’re part of it. Now shut up and sit still. I don’t know what you’re so worried about. You’ve got the easy part.” Without loosening her hold on his erection, she braced her free hand on his shoulder and climbed aboard his lap, straddling him. His breath rasped out as she positioned him at her opening and locked her legs around his waist.

“Easy?” He grabbed onto her hips.

Marian couldn’t tell if he was trying to push her away or pull her closer. Perhaps he couldn’t decide, either.

“Lady, you are making this most hard for me.”

“Good. It’s supposed to be hard. There’s not much we can do with it otherwise"...

=========
=======

Read another excerpt at:
http://amberquill.com/SherwoodCharade.html