FLAWLESS on Sale for .99 cents!

My World War Two romantic suspense, FLAWLESS, is on sale for .99 cents until July 28. I love writing stories about WW2, and stories that capture the danger of that time, combined with a great love story, are my favorite. I hope you'll agree. Here's the blurb from FLAWLESS:

France, 1942.  The world is at war. The Nazis have stolen the infamous blue diamond, Le Coeur Bleu, intending to barter it for weapons that will destroy the Allies. Jewel thief Hunter Smith is given a choice; help the French Resistance steal back the diamond and avenge the death of his best friend, or stay locked up in an English prison. He chooses revenge.

Resistance fighter Madeleine Bertrand’s husband died when he was betrayed by Hunter Smith. How can she now pretend to be married to the arrogant American? How can she betray Jean Philippe’s memory by her passionate response to Hunter’s kisses? Neither is prepared for the maelstrom of attraction that erupts between them. To survive they must uncover the mysteries of the past and conquer the dangers of the present. But first Madeleine must decide if her loyalties lie with her dead husband and the Resistance or with the greatest love of her life.

Here's an excerpt:

Hunter’s eyes snapped open, his blood pounding in his ears. “What do you know about The Blue Heart?”

“Only that it is one of the most famous and rare diamonds in the world, over 30 carats, and said to be flawless.”

Hunter rose from his cot and paced his small cell, heart racing. “Ah, finally something you don’t know. Le Coeur Bleu has a small flaw, an inclusion visible only with a jeweler’s loupe.”

Campbell inclined his head. “My mistake. I bow to your superior knowledge of the stone.”

He met Campbell’s calm stare. He doubted this man ever made mistakes. “What else do you know about the diamond?”

“I know the diamond is reputed to have magical powers. Some even say it is cursed.”

“You don’t really believe in magical powers, do you?” Hunter scoffed.

Campbell lifted one shoulder in a delicate shrug. “Perhaps, perhaps not. Do you think your friend Jean Philippe Bertrand believed in magic?”

All the air rushed out of Hunter’s lungs and he struggled to breathe. “What do you know about Jean Philippe?”

“That he came into possession of Le Coeur Bleu and was murdered for it by the Nazis.”

Hunter dropped heavily onto his cot, shock and pain turning his knees to water. Snippets of the telegram he’d received from his best friend a few weeks before his arrest flashed in his head. Need to buy Heartstone times two from Jewish refugee. Desperate. Send cash. Hunter had immediately wired JP the money to buy the Heartstone, the name by which Le Coeur Bleu was sometimes known. He never heard from Jean Philippe again. In all the months of his captivity he’d clung to the hope that Jean Philippe was safe. But now that hope was dashed.

 “Dead? You’re sure?”

 “Yes. The SOE is very well connected in France. I can assure you, your friend was killed for Le Coeur Bleu.”

Guilt flowed through Hunter’s veins like a poison. If he hadn’t sent the money, JP wouldn’t have had the diamond and the Nazis would have had no reason to kill him.

Campbell stepped closer to Hunter’s cot, determination glittering in his eyes. “I’m giving you the opportunity to avenge your friend’s death. Will you take it, Mr. Smith?”

“How is stealing The Blue Heart going to avenge Jean Philippe’s death? It’s just a stone, Mr. Campbell. Very pretty, very valuable, but just a rock. Is stealing it going to bring him back?”

“No, it won’t,” Campbell conceded, “but it will hurt the Nazis immensely. I can assure you that taking Le Coeur Bleu from them will reduce their capacity to fight, Mr. Smith. It may even shorten the war and provide the turning point we’re looking for. Is this not what your friend would have wanted?”

As Hunter stared into Campbell’s round face, he remembered the last stinging conversation he’d had with his friend. “If you used your God-given talents for good instead of squandering them on party tricks, perhaps you’d be a lot happier. It’s time to grow up, Hunter. For once in your life, be a man.”

Perhaps the time had finally come.

“How soon can I get out of here?”

Campbell smiled in satisfaction. “Follow me.”


FLAWLESS can be purchased at the following retailers for .99 cents until July 28:

The Wild Rose Press | Amazon UK | Amazon | B & N | Bookstrand |Google Play | Amazon CA | iBooks

        

Coming soon - Desires of the Heart

I'm pleased to present the book trailer for Desires of the Heart, a time travel short story set in post WWII England. It will be out March 4, 2009.

Here is a blurb.

When life today is filled with pain, look to the future – or past.

Loren Fairchild longs for children, but is barren. At a cottage in Carlisle, UK, she puts her divorce behind her and begins a new life. She’s interested in the former owners of the small house and about the woman who disappeared into thin air. The same week, according to local gossip, her husband took up with a dark-headed harlot. One morning, a simple minded woman wearing a white nightgown appears at the cottage and triggers events that change Loren’s life forever.

Miles Chapeau misses the wife, the mother of his two children, he’d known before the war. When he returned home in 1945, he learned she’d been hurt in an air raid and now had the mind of a child. He loves her like another child and would never forsake his duty, but misses the intimate side of marriage and having someone to share his interests and goals with. One day she disappears and his existence is turned upside down.

Thanks for watching.

Linda

5 Heart Review for Broken Hero!!

I've reviewed a 5 heart review from Brenda Talley at The Romance Studio!!!

I'm so happy to receive such a wonderful review for Broken Hero. It's thrilling to find out that people are enjoying this story, as I loved writing it.

To read the review, go here.
http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/brokenherowhitfield.htm

To purchase Broken Hero in ebook, go here.
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=145&products_id=735

Out in print in April.

Broken Hero out now in ebook!

My WWII romance is now released in ebook!

Blurb
Audrey Pearson’s life changed dramatically when WWII broke out and her large home, Twelve Pines on the East Yorkshire coast, became a convalescence home for wounded soldiers. Her life is no longer lavish with entertainment, beautiful clothes and surrounded by a loving family. Soldiers, physically and mentally wounded now fill her home. The smell of disinfectant replaces her mother’s perfume and gone are the friends and acquaintances - instead nurses roam the hallways.
Captain Jake Harding, a doctor training in psychiatry arrives at Twelve Pines. Audrey immediately finds herself attracted to the Captain, but he is remote towards her. Puzzled by his cold behaviour, Audrey tries to learn more about the handsome Captain. He reveals that he’s lost a wife and baby in childbirth and refuses to ever remarry. However, despite this, Audrey believes she can change his mind and make him aware he doesn’t have to spend his life alone.
The ice around Jake’s heart begins to melt. For years he has rejected the possibility of finding love again because of the pain it caused him before, but the beautiful Audrey shows him her love and she needs someone to love her in return.
Could he honestly walk away from her, from the love that could be his?

Excerpt--
“Can we go for a walk down to the beach?” Lucy asked, flipping the bed sheet up and then pulling it down tight.
Audrey pushed a pillow into a clean pillowcase and sighed. “I don’t know if I can today. Val is having problems with one of the nurses, and—”
“They aren’t your responsibility. You do enough, we all do enough! Blasted army, blasted war.” Lucy gave the sheet a vicious tug. “I’m so tired of it. I want some fun.”
“Lucy—”
“Oh, I just remembered. I forgot to tell you yesterday that there’s a dance on in Brid this Saturday. You’ll come with me, won’t you? Please?”
“We don’t have enough petrol rations to get to Fraisthorpe, never mind Bridlington.”
Lucy grinned. “All sorted. Owen said he’ll drive us in the old cart.”
“The farm cart?” Audrey laughed. “You’ll not be fit to be seen after traveling in a cart.”
“We’ll sweep it out and put blankets in.” Shrugging, Lucy placed the thin green blanket on the end of the bed. “Do say yes, Aud. I’m desperate for a dance. You adore jitterbugging and you’re so good at it. I do hope there’ll be a few Americans in town, they dance so much better than English men.”
“Any man is preferable rather than dancing with other women, as we’ve had to do before.”
“Yes, but that was over a year ago. Now we have so many soldiers based in this area. I heard the Scottish lancers are in town or coming or something.” Lucy spun around. “Men everywhere. I can’t wait.”
“Well, I’ll see. If Valerie doesn’t need me, perhaps.”
Lucy squealed and jumped over the bed to hug and kiss her. A discreet cough separated them and they turned to find Captain Harding lounging in the doorway, smiling at them in his quiet manner. Audrey’s heart did a spin, as it always did whenever she heard or saw him. In the last week, she’d made sure never to be alone with the doctor, not wanting to give him the slightest reason to even think she saw him as anything other than an army doctor here to do a job.
She forced herself to act normal, sophisticated. “Captain Harding, can we be of help?”
His blue eyes held hers for a fraction longer before he straightened. “Yes, Miss Pearson. Sister Lewis was looking for you, as we believe we need another room for Lieutenant Nielson. Unfortunately his nightmares are keeping the rest of the men in his room awake. Is it possible to prepare another room?”
Audrey frowned, she too had heard the poor solider screaming at night, his cries for them to take cover echoed around the house. “Certainly, Captain Harding. Regrettably, my Father believes the rear parlor has some dampness, perhaps there’s a leak in the roof, and we need to fix that before the room is used again.”
“I see.” He rubbed his chin, frowning. “I’d prefer to keep Nielson in his room, as he’s familiar with it, and move the other two men out.”
“We could use Sister Lewis’ office and move everything in there into the drawing room. The office isn’t large but it’ll fit two beds in it.”
“But the officers use the drawing room, Audrey.” Lucy said.
“The officers will simply have to use the dining room and conservatory for their recreational pursuits.” Audrey stepped towards the door.
“Yes, I agree. Sounds like an excellent plan.” Captain Harding didn’t move to let her pass and she stopped to stare at him. “I was wondering Miss Pearson…”
Her mouth dried. “Yes?”
“I overheard you and your sister,” he shot a look at Lucy, “about your forthcoming dance and I was wondering—”
“Do you wish to go with us, Captain?” Lucy asked, her eyes bright. “And dance the jitterbug with Audrey? She’s ever so good.”
Audrey swallowed, knowing her cheeks flamed. A night of dancing with the handsome Captain? She felt light-headed at the thought.
He laughed softly. “I’m afraid not, Miss Pearson, but I do think it would be beneficial for some of the patients, if they could accompany you? A few of them are in desperate need of some semblance of normality. It helps their healing to remember and experience activities that are good fun and have no connection to war and death…”
“Oh yes!” Lucy clapped. “We never get enough men at these dances. Most of the time we have to dance with other women. What a brilliant idea, Captain.”
“Are-are they well enough to attend?” Audrey murmured, continually saddened by the fine men who were staying at Twelve Pines. They suffered such misery. A couple of officers, Johnson and Price, had changed dramatically since arriving and would happily chat and help around the house. There were others though that still kept apart and were quiet, refusing to discuss what they’d experienced.
“I would say three or four of them, yes. Not the men who arrived with me, obviously, but the others are ready for a little light entertainment. It’ll do them good before they return to the front.”
“They leave soon?” For some reason she couldn’t look at him, frightened, she supposed. Frightened he would see something in her face, the emotion she felt being near him. What a shame the good-looking doctor wasn’t coming with them. She could smell the subtle shaving cologne he wore, a mixture of sandalwood and something else she couldn’t name.
“Yes. Jamieson, Winthrop, Fielding and Battersby all leave a week on Friday. They’ve passed their assessments.”
She nodded and took a step, wanting to be gone from the room, from him and from the emotions warring in her. “I’ll go find Sister Lewis.”
“Miss Pearson?”
Side-by-side in the doorway they faced each other. Audrey’s head only reached his shoulder. She stared at the shining buttons on his uniform, not trusting herself to look up at him. “Yes, Captain?”
“On second thought, I think I might accompany the men to the dance.”
She glanced at him, her eyes wide and the difficulty to swallow occurred again. “Very well…”
“Just in case the men need me, of course,” he whispered.
Audrey’s skin tingled as though he had caressed her. “Of course…”

Buy the ebook of Broken Hero here-
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=735&zenid=6f9a68b05b69323373c112229f739547

Paperback available in April.

Regards, Anne.~
http://www.annewhitfield.com
Broken Hero, Her Shadowed Heart and Woodland Daughter, all released soon!