Spotlight & Giveaway: The Bachelor Betrayal by Maddison Michaels

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Maddison Michaels to HJ!

Hi Maddison and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Bachelor Betrayal!

 
Hi and thanks for having me!!
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

Gazette insiders tell us there was an unchaperoned encounter between a certain deliciously mysterious earl and a flame-haired lady who’s rumored to keep daggers hidden within her skirts. Things are about to get dangerously scandalous in Maddison Michaels’ next Secret, Scandal and Spies release.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

The shrill hiss of steam bellowing from the train’s engine should have masked the sound of the dagger sliding from its sheath, but Lady Kaitlyn Montrose heard the crisp scrape of steel against leather with an intimate brush of familiarity.

Thrusting the document she’d just retrieved into her bodice,

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The heroine throws daggers, not dinner parties
• The heroine has special cotton weave material for her dresses, which is slash resistant – this is based on true facts, where bullet proof material was being invented that was made from woven cotton and silk.
• Kat’s book was originally going to be book 1 in the series, but I changed it around so that Livie’s book was first, as that was the origin story of the Gazette.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Well the hero has never been kneed in the bollocks before… and let’s just say the heroine grabs his attention when she does…

The heroine is attracted to the hero when he nearly outfights her – and that a man can do so (given her extensive training), attracts her greatly.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?

Fast, fiery, furious, passionate, perilous!
 

The First Kiss…

“If we’re entering into an agreement together, we should seal the deal with a kiss,” he murmured. “It’s the polite thing to do.”

“Sealing the deal with a kiss is how my friend Olivia ended up marrying the Bastard of Baker Street,” she said, annoyed her voice sounded slightly breathless. “I’ve no intention of following the same path.”

“Oh, don’t worry, my lady. Neither do I,” Marcus all but purred. “I will never marry again. You’re safe from me in that regard. Unless, of course, you’re scared of a kiss?”

“I’m scared of no man’s kiss.”

“Then show me.”

The deep timber of his voice sent a shiver through her body and all she could do was nod. What harm was there in a kiss? It might satisfy her curiosity and put the unaccountable sensations she was experiencing in his presence to rest once and for all. “Very well.”

She raised her head and pressed her lips softly against his. Almost immediately, a heat began to curl in her belly from the touch, his lips scorching in their intensity. She moaned as he nudged open her mouth with his, and his tongue flicked against hers. Mirroring the movement, she did the same to him and was rewarded with his deep groan as they began to kiss each other with an unrestrained passion she didn’t think was possible for her.

Instinctively, she pressed herself closer to him, reveling at the sensations of pleasure coursing through her from his very touch. He was strong and so masculine it made her feel delicate and feminine, which she rarely ever did.

His hands circled around her waist, before sliding lower and cupping her buttocks, pulling her in, tighter against him. Kat nearly gasped when the hardness of his manhood pressed into her lower belly. It was wicked. It was wanton. It was addictive, and she wanted more.

She wound her hands up and around his neck and kissed him back with unrepentant fervor, pressing her breasts more snugly against the broadness of his thick chest. Never had she tasted such sublime wonder as was Marcus.

A throat being cleared from behind them had Kat wrenching away from Marcus and spinning around to face the threat. It was Cantfield and Etta. How mortifying. And Kat never felt mortified by anything, though she’d never been kissed so thoroughly before either, or caught in the act.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

Their meet cute, where Kat knees Marcus in the bollocks…

He’d been taught well by her uncle. Kat generally prided herself on her ability to outfight any man, but she was no fool and was loath to admit that Marcus’s size and strength were difficult to combat, even for a woman with her height and skills. The very thought she might be bested was surprisingly thrilling, for no man had truly been able to challenge her before. But Marcus could.

Kat cursed when she realized he was maneuvering her close to the wall, where there would be little room left for her to strike. Knowing she would have to resort to another tactic, she paused in her strikes, allowing him to grab hold of her arms and pin her to the wall so she was trapped, his frame pressed hard against her own.

She could feel the strength of him leaning into the soft curves of her body and unexpectedly her breath quickened. His chest was so broad and his muscles so hard, that it made it difficult to ignore the heat and masculinity radiating from him.

His shocked eyes peered down into hers. “You’re a woman?”

“Hello, Marcus.” Kat smiled up at him through her mask, trying to ignore the ripple of awareness radiating down through to her center, acutely aware of her femininity against his masculinity. “I wish I could say it was nice to see you again after all these years…” She shrugged. “But in the
circumstances, I’m not so sure.”

It took a moment for him to recognize her voice. “Lady Kaitlyn?”

He relaxed his grip a fraction, though he still did not release her. Instead, he pulled her hands above her head and switched his grip so her wrists were pinned by only one of his hands.

Her breasts were unintentionally pressed farther into his chest, while he removed her mask, and Kaitlyn couldn’t help but gasp at the contact.

She heard his swift intake of breath as he scrutinized her face. For a moment, she wondered what he was thinking, but his gaze gave little away.

“You’ve grown up.” His voice was thick, and she could see his jaw clenching. Probably in annoyance, as that had always been an easy emotion to rouse in him when she was a girl. She had enjoyed poking fun at him, after all.

“Twelve years does tend to age a person,” she replied. Although, instead of looking aged, Marcus simply appeared more dangerous and harder than he had before. Compelling, in fact, to the point where she found herself slightly breathless, and Kat didn’t get breathless for any man.

His eyes narrowed rather treacherously. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

“Is it not obvious?” she all but purred, as she tried to return her thoughts to the task at hand. “I’ve come to retrieve this journal.”

“Damn it! I could have hurt you, you foolish woman.” His face was mere inches from her own, and she could see small flecks of grey mingling with the blue in his eyes. She’d never been close enough to him before to notice such an intriguing thing.

For a brief moment, Kat found herself slightly mesmerized by the intensity of his stare and the woody scent of his cologne as it engulfed her nostrils. It was a scent of sandalwood and something else she couldn’t quite identify. She gave herself a mental shake. Stay focused, Kaitlyn. She couldn’t allow herself to be distracted, even if this man was making her feel more like a woman than she ever had.

“So,” he demanded, “what do you have to say for yourself?”

“That I am truly sorry for what’s coming next.” And she was, but she could see no other solution to the situation. She had to get away from him, and away from the unfamiliar sensations he stirred up inside her.

Before he could formulate an answer, Kat lifted her right knee up as hard as she could toward the junction between his thighs. Marcus swore when her knee connected fully with his body and then he grunted as pain overtook him and he crumpled to the floor.

Kat stood there for a second, panting from the exertion as she looked down at his face. “I’m sorry, Marcus. Normally, I do try to fight fair, but against a man of your size and experience, a woman must use every weapon at her disposal.” Belatedly, she realized she was still calling him by his first name, a habit she’d formed as a girl. She hurried around him to the balcony door. She had definitely overstayed her welcome.

“Damn it! Get back here,” he choked out, still writhing on the rug in the middle of the room.

“After I obtain what I need from the journal, I will return it to you.” And next time, she’d have these foreign feelings of attraction firmly in check. She looked at him one last time before turning and sprinting out of the door and across the balcony to where she’d left the grappling hook.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

The above scene where she knees him in the bollocks!!

Readers should read this book …

If they love action, adventure, intrigue and romance!!

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m working on a new series – still set in then late 1880s but this one is to do with magic and illusions, along with some murder and mayhem of course, lol!

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An e-book of The Bachelor Betrayal by Maddison Michaels

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: How far would you go to revenge the murder of a loved one?

 
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Excerpt from The Bachelor Betrayal:

Marcus watched as a myriad of emotions crossed Lady Kaitlyn’s face as she caught sight of him standing at the base of the stairway with Cantfield beside him, tagging along for his introduction. Surprise, shock, and anticipation flashed briefly in those fierce-green eyes of hers, before she deftly masked them and took the final step down from the stairs with her friend, coming to stand defiantly before him.

If he hadn’t been paying such close attention, he would’ve missed the play of emotions dart across her gaze altogether. She was excellent at concealing her thoughts.

“Lord Westwood.” She gave him a fleeting curtsy. “How good to see you again. I do hope you’re well recovered from last night.”

Beside him, Cantfield smothered a laugh while Marcus raised a brow. It didn’t seem the ballroom setting deterred the lady from speaking her mind. “I’m quite recovered, my lady, and your concern for my welfare is touching.”

“I did warn you that dancing with me could prove perilous.” She shrugged lightly, the glow from the wall lights shining upon the crystal beads of her bodice and drawing Marcus’s eyes to the soft swell of her cleavage pressing against the neckline of the gown. Dressed as she was, he certainly wouldn’t mistake her for a man.

“So you did,” Marcus replied, unable to help the corner of his mouth from twitching up at her impudence. He’d never met a woman so bold, and try as he might, he couldn’t maintain his fury at her audacity for listing him in her Gazette. Her forthright manner, bordering on sassiness, was a surprising breath of fresh air amongst all of the falsities clinging to the other women in the room like second skins. “And you were correct, it was perilous. You need dancing lessons.”

Lady Kaitlyn’s eyes narrowed with indignation. He couldn’t resist giving her a wink, and nearly laughed aloud when an expression of pure outrage crossed her face.

The sound of a throat clearing beside him abruptly reminded Marcus that he and Lady Kaitlyn were not alone, even though for a moment it had felt that way. How could he have forgotten Lucas, who was determined to be properly introduced to the lady before the night was through? The thought of introducing them caused an uncomfortable knot to lodge in his chest. There wasn’t a woman he knew who didn’t succumb to Cantfield’s charm. “Lady Kaitlyn, let me introduce you to Lucas Devereux, the Marquis of Cantfield. Cantfield, this is Lady Kaitlyn.”

Cantfield picked up Kaitlyn’s gloved hand and bent down over her knuckles, brushing his lips against the material of her glove. Marcus clenched his jaw.

“It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you, Lady Kaitlyn.” Cantfield’s smiled oozed charm as he straightened up, an inch shy of Marcus’s frame. It was a smile Cantfield often deployed on the ladies, which always evoked either a soft sigh or a smile from the recipient. “I don’t know if you remember me from when your uncle trained me years ago?”

“Actually, I do.” She plucked her hand from Cantfield’s and regarded the man steadily.

A big grin danced over Cantfield’s face at her words and Marcus felt unaccountably annoyed that she remembered him.

“You were the one always looking at yourself in the mirror in Victor’s training room,” she continued, “always discussing your latest conquests with whomever you were sparring with.”

The young woman beside her laughed, quickly covering it up with a hand over her mouth.

“Yes, I suppose that was me… I was somewhat vain in my younger years.” Mortification flooded his face. “I didn’t know you were in the training room to hear all of that. I never would’ve spoken of such topics if I had known…”

“I wouldn’t have been good at spying on the training when I was a young girl if you knew I was there, now would I?”

Cantfield didn’t seem to know what to say. “Um… No, I don’t suppose so…”

Marcus couldn’t help but grin at Cantfield’s bewilderment. It wasn’t often that a lady not only rebuffed Cantfield, the future Duke of Carlisle, but also befuddled him. Well, until the Ice Maiden, it seemed—a woman with high standards and quick wit. He liked her all the more for it.

“Hopefully, you don’t get as distracted by your own reflection nowadays.” Kaitlyn’s eyes flicked back to Marcus, essentially dismissing the Marquis within a few seconds of being introduced to him. “As we’re doing introductions, let me present to you both my friend, Miss Henrietta Merriweather, whose father is Mr. Henry Merriweather. Etta, this is Lord Westwood and Lord Cantfield.”

Miss Merriweather curtsied, her chocolate brown eyes darting between Marcus and Cantfield, seemingly not knowing who to settle upon. “Very nice to meet you, my lords.”

Both Marcus and Cantfield bowed to the girl before taking it in turns to chastely kiss her gloved hand, Marcus first, followed by Cantfield, whose usual charm seemed to be working, at least with Miss Merriweather, who started to blush heartily when Cantfield raised his head.

The ladies were complete opposites. Kat was tall and athletic in shape, whereas Miss Merriweather was of average height, and slightly voluptuous of figure, with chestnut brown hair compared to Kat’s deep auburn. And Marcus could never imagine Kat blushing from a man kissing her knuckles as Miss Merriweather had. Though for a mad moment he wondered if she’d blush if it was somewhere else she was being kissed by Marcus…

Instantly, his body tightened as the image of her naked in his bed flooded his imagination. Thoughts of kissing her everywhere filled him and he had to blink hard to bring his surroundings back into focus and pay attention to whatever it was Miss Merriweather was talking about. Something to do with the weather.

“Cantfield was just telling me he wishes to dance,” Marcus announced. “Would you do him the honor, Miss Merriweather?”

Canfield rounded his eyes upon him, but clearly understood Marcus’s need to speak with Kat in private.

“Of course,” Miss Merriweather said, taking Cantfield’s outstretched hand, who then led her back to the ballroom.

Alone at last, though the hallway was still too public for the verbal battle Marcus suspected he was about to have with Lady Kaitlyn. He swiveled his eyes to hers, and they clashed. The most overwhelming urge to drag her into the nearest room and kiss her senseless to see if she was as passionate at kissing as she was fighting came over him. But he resisted the impulse. Just.

“I’m glad you found me.” Kat’s voice was a welcome distraction, except that it drew his attention to her lips, damn it.

What the devil was wrong with him? He never reacted to a woman like this, not to the point of nearly losing control. Ignoring his wayward thoughts, he returned to the matter at hand. The whole point for his attending. “Surely, you knew I’d hunt you down.”

“Hunting me down would suggest I’m prey,” Kat replied. “And I can assure you, I am anything but.”

“Apex predators hunt other predators, my lady.” He took a small step closer to her, but she didn’t budge an inch. “Particularly when you’ve all but invited or perhaps challenged me to do so.”

“And how have I done that?” Her green eyes radiated innocence.

“Come, my lady. I thought you more forthright than that.” Marcus reached into his pocket and pulled out the offending flyer that had made its way into the hands of most Londoners by late this evening. “Apart from stealing the journal—”

“Borrowing—”

“It seems you had a hand in my sudden rise to fame, or infamy as most would suggest…” He pressed the flyer into her hands. “I know you’re behind this.”

Kat glanced down at the paper before returning his stare. “I was confident you’d put two and two together, though I imagine Sir William assisted.”

She knew of his relationship with Sir William, did she? The woman was well informed. “He confirmed my suspicions.”

“Clearly, we need to talk.”

The woman was the queen of understatement. “We need to do a lot more than talk. You need to start explaining yourself before I cart you out of here over my shoulder in front of everyone. At least then I will have earned a reputation worthy of being torn apart by your little gazette.”

“You could try, though I don’t like your chances.”

“Darling, I can do a lot more than try.” He squared his shoulders.

Kaitlyn merely shrugged, obviously certain he wouldn’t do such a thing.

Tempted though he was, he wouldn’t, as doing so would mean a quick trip down the aisle to redeem both their reputations. And marriage was not an institution he ever intended to partake in again. “Are you not concerned that now I’ve learned of your little secret, about being one of the owners of the Gazette, that I might use it against you?”

“Not at all,” her velvet voice drawled. “I expected you to discover it was me behind the move. And if you hadn’t been able to do that, you would have been of little use to me.”

“I live to be of use to you, my lady.” He mockingly bowed before her.

“You will be of great use soon, I can guarantee it,” came her pert reply. “And, no, I’m not concerned you will reveal my secret. We have too much at stake to be playing games of tit for tat.”

She was right. Marcus sighed. “Then do you mind telling me why the devil you had a special flyer printed listing me as one of the bachelors to be critiqued? I can see no useful purpose in doing so, apart from incurring my wrath.”

“I always do things on purpose, my lord, and you can be assured that is certainly the case in this instance.” Kat squared her shoulders. “I need your help.”

Marcus couldn’t stop the laugh of incredulity from leaving his lips. “You need my help?” Was the woman serious? “Let me see if I understand you correctly. First, you knee me in the bollocks. Second, you steal Elizabeth’s journal from me. Third, you have me listed as one of the next bachelors to be critiqued in your gazette, which leads to my reputation being damaged in the short space of only a few hours. And after all of that, you’re asking for my help? You have an odd notion of how to go about asking for someone’s help.”

“Perhaps.” She lifted her chin, her eyes never leaving his. “Though I disagree somewhat about your reputation. It’s only slightly sullied and will be redeemed when I publish a retraction about you being critiqued, after you help me.”

“After I help you? Are you blackmailing me?”

“Not at all.” She shook her head vehemently. “I’m recruiting you.”

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

He wants justice
Underestimating Marcus Black is the last thing his enemies ever do. After all, the respected Earl of Westwood is a deadly threat… when her Majesty needs him to be. And his only goal is to avenge his brother’s murder. Which would be much easier if the viciously-skilled Lady Kaitlyn Montrose wouldn’t swoop in, knee him in the bollocks, and then run off with his only lead…

She wants revenge
Kat is determined to avenge her beloved uncle’s murder and nothing will stop her. Especially not the devastatingly handsome, and equally lethal Marcus Black. The fact that he’s after the same target is a complication she hadn’t planned on. And as much as she enjoys taunting him, she has a job to do—one that doesn’t include sparring with the infuriating man at every turn. Except Kat has a new plan… one that Marcus will just hate.

Now they’ll have to work together… if they don’t kill each other first
Individually, Marcus and Kat are deadly. If they worked together, they could be unstoppable. But when attraction gets in the way of vengeance, it’s more than hearts on the line. And only one person can win…
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