I am happy to welcome author Anna Valleria. Today, Anna shares her new release, Letters Take the Lady.

Blurb

Antigone Sprague, the spirited daughter of a gentleman scholar, has no patience for arrogant lords. So when she meets the reserved and bitingly clever Lord Michael Northram, she’s immediately put off by his condescending manner. She has no idea that he is utterly captivated.

Tongue-tied and overwhelmed by a passion he doesn’t understand, Michael can only confess his feelings in secret poems never meant to see the light of day. But when Antigone begins receiving those very poems from a charming and ambitious suitor, she believes she’s found the man who understands her soul. Believing he has lost her forever, a heartbroken Michael accepts a diplomatic mission to America, unaware that the woman he loves has actually fallen for his words.

Years later, his return to England ignites a shocking reunion and an undeniable spark. But their second chance is built on a foundation of lies. When the truth of the letters emerges, it exposes a scheme of shocking deception, and her spurned suitor reveals a desperate and dangerous side, threatening her very freedom. To win her trust, Michael must finally bridge the gap between the poet on the page and the man by her side, proving he is the hero she’s always deserved.

Excerpt

She liked that he had stopped using her Christian name. For some reason, that felt safer.

“Lord Michael. Remember the bird I told you of when we first met?”

He nodded and she thought she saw recognition, maybe even warmth in his eyes. He really was the most annoyingly unreadable gentleman.

“I cannot be that bird. Please don’t make me. I’m not asking for the moon. I’m not asking for ruin. I merely want an escort to attend a meeting in a public place.” She walked towards him and set her bare hand down on his forearm before she realized what she was doing. Annie recognized only too late her mistake, as she felt a spark start somewhere below her chest and travel throughout her body. She heard Michael’s deep breath, saw his fist clench, and immediately she drew back. She had overstepped, overplayed her hand. He would refuse her now, she thought in despair.

Slowly, he unclenched his fist, turning slightly away from her. “You would have to wear something very plain. What you normally wear would cause a distraction.”

“What I normally wear?” In her indignation, it took her a moment to realize he had agreed.

“I-you are a tall, striking gentlewoman, Antigone—most of the men there will notice that and consider you a distraction. They will resent you for it.”

She opened her mouth to argue back and then closed it. She had never thought that Michael noticed her looks. She felt an odd ping of pleasure that she tried to push away. She despised vanity in all forms, and she willed herself not to take satisfaction in this turn in the conversation, so she nodded and acquiesced. “I can do that.”

Michael held out his hand, as if to shake it in the American style, then seemed to reconsider and began to pull it back. Annie immediately grabbed his hand as if this would seal their agreement and grinned at him. For a moment, he looked as if he wanted to return her smile, but his face fell back into stillness and he merely watched her. As she left him, she reflected that the old Michael would likely have laughed her out of the room, and she wondered again what had changed. 

Author Bio and Links

Anna Valleria writes historical romance that is sweet with steam. Her stories have been praised for their rich, realistic tone and aching romanticism, reminiscent of classic romance novels. She crafts deeply layered characters, like the honorable heroes and resilient heroines in her Victorian Historical Rogues Fall First series, that will remind you why you fell in love with romance in the first place. Anna was also a runner-up in Dragonblade Publishing’s 2024 “Write Track” Writing Contest, soon to be seen in the Tales of Timeless Love Vol. 4.

A lifelong lover of coffee and writing in cafes, she finds inspiration in the historic city that she lives in.

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