A Winning Streak ~ Tea Cooper + Choice of Giveaway!

Today I have the lovely Téa Cooper on my blog with her latest release, A Winning Streak, which has wrathful gods and goddesses! What's not to love?

 And Tea is kindly offering one of her previously published romances to one lucky commenter - a choice of either Lily's Leap or Matilda's Freedom!

A Winning Streak by Téa Cooper

Breathless Press http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=172&zenid=983od5csls4ke7au31oe9k0kg7

Blurb:

Will the path of true love incur the wrath of the virgin Goddess Artemis?

Abandoned at birth, Atalantê, protégé of the goddess Artemis is forced into an untenable position by her estranged father, the King of Arcadia - renege on her vow of virginity or condemn her suitors to a sacrificial death.   The aristocratic courtier Melanion, cannot believe anyone would be foolish enough to put their life on the line for the dirty little predator whose reputation for speed and cruelty are legendary. That is until he falls under Atalantê's spell. 

Consumed by desire and jealousy Melanion is determined to win Atalantê’s hand or die trying. He calls upon Aphrodite to assist him, little realizing that her noisesome brat, Eros has the pair of them in his sights and is determined to inject a little spice into their life. Spice that will devastate the path of true love and incur the wrath of the virgin Goddess Artemis.

Digital Edition: $2.99 | ISBN: | Length: 21,000 words

Publication Date: June 14th, 2013 | PDF – MOBI – EPUB |Timeless Line

Breathless Press

Excerpt:

The sixth day of Thargelion

Mount Parthenius, Arcadia

Purple thunderclouds swirled, and lightning slashed the sky. Artemis the Huntress, goddess of the forests and the hills, stood astride the mountaintop, staring in fascination at the frail human figure edging its way to the cave.

The figure gazed around furtively, then placed a tightly wrapped bundle beneath the shelter of the rocky overhand before stepping stealthily away through the glade of moon-white cyclamen flowers.

A flash of lightning illuminated the interior of a cave. Bounding effortlessly down the mountain, Artemis raged at the folly of mankind.

"Great Zeus above!"

Impossibly huge cerulean eyes stared up at her—the epitome of perfection. Artemis reached down and picked up the swaddled bundle. The scent of the fresh, sweet skin and the flawless rosebud mouth tugged at her heart as she cradled the tiny body close to her breast and raised her fist to the heavens. "This I vow, my little one, you shall become fleet of foot, a huntress, second to none and guided by my ever-watchful eye."

Pulling back the tightly wrapped swaddling, she gazed in awe as the plump, perfectly formed limbs pounded the air. "I name you Atalantê, my princess, for we are as one. In perfect harmony you will grow in my image, your maiden divinity never to be conquered by Eros."

Artemis listened as in the valley below, the Arcadian people held their collective breath. She stilled the lightning and dismissed the thunderclouds. Finally, when the pale sun rose, the frustrated cries of Lord Iasius filled the palace. "Gods! Take back your girl. Give me a boy to inherit my kingdom!"

The acts of men are rarely unheeded by the gods, and Artemis vowed compassion for her little foundling, seeing to her warmth and nourishment until the girl grew tall and nimble, slim of hip—a virgin huntress, in her own image.

Lily's Leap ~ Tea Cooper Excerpt PLUS Giveaway!

I'm delighted to welcome back the lovely Téa Cooper with her latest release, Lily's Leap! And Tea is kindly offering a giveaway of one of her other recently published books to one lucky commenter!! The winner can choose between  A Winning Streak or Matilda's Freedom so don't forget to leave a comment :-)

Lyrical Press

Amazon 

iTunes

B&N
 

 Blurb 

Born into privileged society, Lilibeth Dungarven finds herself married, widowed, and much to her distress, back under her father’s rule, all before her twenty-first birthday. But this feisty and independent young woman has a dream: she is determined to breed the perfect racehorse and restore the family’s flagging fortunes. An accomplished rider, she takes matters into her own hands and sets out to restore Dungarven horse stud to its former glory.

When the devastatingly attractive Captain Tom and his mismatched band of bushrangers stumble across a mob of the best horses they’ve ever seen, and the daughter of the famed Dungarven stud, they know their fortunes have changed. Their catch is worth a king’s ransom. Surely it can’t be too difficult to contain this beautiful young woman with violet eyes and skin-tight riding breeches for seven days?

Digital Edition: $3.99 | ISBN: 9781616504588 | Length: 43,000 words

Ebook Page Count: 122 | Publication Date: May 6, 2013 | PDF – MOBI – EPUB

Excerpt 

Lily could see the pale ribbon of road below cutting through the trees and the bright blue expanse of sky wide-open in front of her. “Nero. You can do it,” she whispered into his sleek, shiny neck and he snorted in response. Her thigh muscles burned as she tightened her grasp on his flanks. His muscles tensed in response, attuned to her body. She gritted her teeth and willed her shaking hands to steady. “We can do this, Nero. We have to.” Her heart hammered so hard in her chest she thought it might leap right over the culvert and down the hill ahead of them.

With barely a moment’s hesitation she dug her heels into the stallion’s flanks and urged him down the hill. The last trees cleared and the sudden heat of the sun stung her face, then she crouched low over Nero’s neck. The clatter of his hooves on the sandstone surface told her they had reached the road. The blood raced through her veins, pulsing in her ears, a violent and excruciating pounding raged through her body.

“Stop.” Tom’s command echoed around her as the blocks of the convict hewn, sandstone walls reared ahead of her. Surely it wasn’t such a huge jump for a horse like Nero?

She leaned forward in the saddle and her cheek brushed the dampness of his neck. Time slowed. With her eyes squeezed tightly shut she sucked in a great gulp of air and clenched her teeth tightly together. Nero lifted into the air. His muscles bunched beneath her and he flew over the chiseled blocks and down the slope. Her knees gripped the saddle and she dragged the reins almost vertical as they plunged down. Tufts of wiry grass and small rocks littered the route. She flinched as Nero’s hooves crashed across them. Gasping in a quick breath, she prayed for the terrain to level off.

Her lungs contracted like bellows and what little air remained, whistled out through her pursed lips. Nero tensed and she shuddered as he stumbled and then regained his balance. Her heart leapt to her throat and her wrists twisted as she wrenched on the reins to slow him. He quivered to a halt. Silver spots danced in front of her eyes and she gulped in a breath to feed her starving lungs. Nero’s muscled body trembled and quaked beneath her and white froth flecked his muzzle.

“We did it, darling Nero. We did it.” The salty tang of his body filled her nostrils as she leaned over his neck murmuring endearments. She swayed with exertion and forced her rubbery muscles to respond as she squinted into the sunlight. Figures on horseback towered above her, stalled on the road. She had an overwhelming urge to wave her hand and shriek in triumph.

But she resisted; this was her opportunity and she had no time to waste. She cut away to the right praying her memory of the maps was correct as she searched for the track leading her to Laguna.

“Lil-eee. Lil-eee.” Tom’s call bounced off the sandstone walls. Shading her eyes with her hand she stared back toward the culvert wall. It was empty.

“Lil-eee. Lil-eee.” The sorrowful echo reached her, resounding somewhere deep in her gut. Her sweat-soaked curls clung to her face as she shook her head, raging at her ridiculous foolishness. After such an exhilarating and successful leap for freedom why did she suddenly feel so melancholy? Her heels bruised Nero’s flanks and she urged him away in a fast canter.


 And now a little about Tea!

 

Téa’s always knew that one day she would write a novel. It probably started with a rather risqué story in the back of an exercise book at boarding school featuring the long suffering school gardener - not really the stuff romantic heroes were made of but it was before she knew any better.

Life and few heroes of her own showed her the error of her ways and with a baby under one arm, a husband and a half built house she entered a Mills and Boon competition. To her absolute earth shattering amazement she won second place – the prize was a bottle of perfume! Next time she determined she would do better.

But it was still the stuff of fantasy and her family, a herd of alpacas, a protea farm and teaching intervened until one day she decided it was time to do or die. No more procrastination. The characters and plots that had lived in her head for so long were clamoring to escape.

In August 2011 she got serious and joined Romance Writers Australia, entered the Harlequin Mills & Boon New Voices competition and to her horror wasn't discovered. Not even a bottle of perfume this time. But in reality she had won. Procrastination was conquered and determination set in. It was time to get serious.

Her first contemporary romance novel Tree Change was published in November 2012 followed by The Protea Boys and Passionfruit & Poetry in 2013. She has also written two historical romances - Lily's Leap and Matilda's Freedom - inspired by some of the fascinating characters haunting her local museum and a novella set in Ancient Greece.

When Téa is not in the museum she can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or you can email her at teacooperauthor@gmail.com

Website link: www.teacooperauthor.com

Social Media links -  

 Pinterest http://pinterest.com/teacooperauthor/

Release Day for Matilda's Freedom ~ Tea Cooper + GIVEAWAY!

I'm delighted to welcome the lovely Téa Cooper to help celebrate the release of Matilda's Freedom today! Happy book birthday, Téa :-)

Not only do we have an enticing excerpt for you, but Téa is generously giving away a copy of one of her other historical romances - either Lily's Leap or A Winning Streak to one lucky commenter!

Exciting Update! Matilda's Freedom  is currently sitting at #6 in Top Paid Historical Romances on iTunes and #62 in overall romances!

Matilda's Freedom by Téa Cooper

Harlequin Escape

Amazon
iTunes

Blurb:

An unconventional woman clashes with colonial society in this spicy and sweet Australian-set historical romance. 

His carefree bachelor days over, Christopher Matcham returns to Sydney to take responsibility for his mother, two stepsisters, and the family property. Fortune smiles on him when he is introduced to Matilda Sweet, a woman in need of work. Though unusual, Christopher senses that her fresh ideals and positive outlook can only benefit his sisters, so he hires her as a companion. 

By the time they arrive at Christopher’s family home, the two are fast friends. But Matilda’s unorthodox ways and her convict heritage make her a second class citizen to the family. Christopher has responsibilities, and they include an advantageous match. A breeches-wearing, fish-pond-swimming, plain-talking convict’s daughter will never fit in. After all, romance is a luxury the upper classes cannot afford…

Digital Edition: AU$4.99 | ISBN: 9780857990600| Length: 59,000 words

Publication Date: July 1, 2013 | PDF – MOBI – EPUB |Historical Romance

 Harlequin Escape

Excerpt:

Sydney, Autumn 1856

‘Paris is a city of contradictions—rich and poor, the glamorous and the debauched—and I loved every moment of it.’

Christopher Matcham turned his head as the girl’s breath caught, although he was uncertain whether the sound was from shock or delight. In another situation, he might have interpreted it as a sign of pleasure. Rocking back in his chair, he stared across the table at the delectable Miss Matilda Sweet.

Matilda radiated vitality and vivacity. In the flickering candlelight, her skin had an almost amber hue, highlighting her honeyed hair. Her wide eyes beckoned to him, and a tiny pulse flickered along her elegant neck. She might be a currency lass and of convict stock, but her looks were far from disappointing. She was so different from the women of Sydney society—and that of Paris.

‘Kit, I think you’re getting worse with age instead of better. Remember, there are ladies present.’

The delighted grin on Emily Bainbridge’s face belied her husband’s words. ‘Richard, don’t be such a stuffed shirt. I would love to hear about Paris. We get so little news from elsewhere, and I’m sure Matilda doesn’t mind.’

The girl smiled and lowered her eyes behind lashes that would have done a courtesan proud. Her hand fluttered to the column of her throat.

‘I am totally fascinated. I cannot imagine what Paris must be like. They say half the world visited the city for the Exhibition Universelle.’

Matilda’s low contralto rippled across his skin like a warm brandy, and the temptation to lean across the table and inhale her scent was almost overpowering. Clearing his throat, Christopher dragged his eyes away from her generous mouth and made an effort to pay due attention to his host and hostess.

‘Paris is certainly a fascinating city, full of intriguing layers. The upper classes cling to the skirts of the Emperor and Empress while on the seamier side, the commoners flex their muscles and enjoy life. The cafés are open day and night, and the entertainment is outrageous. La chahut dancers have claimed the streets as their own. Their acrobatic skills are phenomenal. The dancers kick their legs so high they can remove a man’s hat and then, of course, display delightful glimpses of their under—’