My novella, Timeless Voyage, is one of the fabulous, sizzling stories in the historical fantasy box set,
Scandalously Yours. Timeless Voyage is set in 1st century AD Ireland so it's a great story to read for St. Patrick's day. And right now you can get the whole box set, all 8 stories for just 99 cents.
To tell you why I wrote Timeless Voyage, I have to start with my love of the Celts. So, I love Grania, the real, kick-ass female Irish pirate captain who faced off with Queen Elizabeth. Of course as a Tudor, Elizabeth’s heritage was in part Welsh, so Celtic as well. Keep in mind Grania, also known as Grace O’Malley, wasn’t only a lady pirate, she was captain of the crew and ship. And since women warriors or raiders are a Celtic tradition, I wanted to write about an ancient Celtic pirate captain in Iron Age Ireland.
So now that I’ve mentioned one of my favorite historical characters, I’m going to tell you about my all-time favorite one, Boudica, the rebel warrior Queen who fought the Romans. So not only is Grania’s influence in the story, Boudica’s is as well.
The way I worked all this in is I made up a heroine and named her Anwen, and though she’s in Ireland, she’s from Britannia. At the time of Boudica, she was a novice at the Druid Learning Center, where Celt’s from all over came to study Druidry. Anwen was there when the massacre occurred, led by the Roman governor of Britannia.
She managed to hide and then escape to Ireland. An Irish druidess named Riona, helped her and she’s her best friend. Anew seeks revenge on the Romans by leading a crew who captures Roman ships as they pass the Irish coast. She kills the Romans and takes the cargo and the ships.
In one of these raids she meets Titus Rufius Kaeso, a Roman merchant, her captive. He’s a blonde and brawn and she burns with need for this man the moment she sees him. The sizzling attraction is mutual, his blood boils for her as well even though she’s probably going to kill him. Why would he feel that way? Well reincarnation plays a part in this. They were lovers in a previous life. And the story goes form there with action, adventure, and love. Here’s the blurb.
Is love even better…the second lifetime around
As the pirate Anwen, presses her dagger against the throat of, Kaeso, her Roman captive, he’s captivated by dreams of a woman he loved in a previous life, the mirror image of Anwen. Can Anwen and Kaeso steer their timeless voyage to a happy destiny or will they be robbed of love again?
Through the ages, where there has been society there have always been norms and, conversely, scandals when love gets in the way of propriety.
From the ancient Celts to medieval Cornwall, from Regency and Victorian England to the American west after the War Between the States, eight stories by multi-published, bestselling authors explore the triumphs of love between a man and a woman—even scandalous love—over what’s considered “proper” in their time.
Wilder’s Thief, by USA Today bestseller, Josie Jax
Robbing a bank wasn’t what reformed pickpocket Rachel Conroy had in mind. Yet when the lyin’ banker entangles her in one helluva financial fix, she finds herself in the bank of Diamond Bluff, Missouri, disguised as a lad and holding a gun on an unfamiliar teller. But the handsome man is so distracting she can’t keep her sex-addled brain on the task at hand—until he threatens to turn her over to the authorities to be hanged if she doesn’t return the money.
When village newcomer and winery owner Dierck Wilder mans his uncle’s small-town bank for a few fateful moments, he’s suddenly staring down the barrel of a revolver. His life veers off on a tumultuous path after he pursues the robber and uncovers a sexy diamond in the rough. Now to unearth the truth and tame Wilder’s bandit…
Aphrodite’s Necklace, by Anh Leod
Exiled by her husband to staid, Victorian England, the goddess Aphrodite is determined to spice up life for a mortal couple by giving them a magic necklace that opens their minds and hearts to passion. Can she teach innocents to delight in sensual love?
Emily Rogers is in the marriage mart, but once the necklace is in her hands, she enlists William Coxe, her family butler, to help find its owner. As Aphrodite intended when she dropped the priceless piece at a ball held in Emily’s home, desire overwhelms Emily—and also William, whom Emily’s parents would never countenance her marrying.
Good sense prevails when the two return the necklace to the goddess, but by this time love has caught the lovers in what seems an impossible situation. Can improper love survive the loss of Aphrodite’s necklace? Only with the goddess’s help can they find a way toward lasting happiness.
Madamoiselle Makes a Match, by Kate Rothwell
An original novella, never before published!
Victorian virgins meet at an inn.
In a village where work is hard to find, virtuous Sally must at last “entertain men” or lose her job at the local inn. The young man she agrees to entertain is Jasper, a visiting gentleman who’s appalled that he’d accidentally forced Sally into this predicament. Yet despite their peculiar meeting and the enormous differences in class and education, the maid and gentleman discover passion and something even more precious, intimacy. Their lovely interlude is interrupted, reality intrudes, and Sally faces another choice…
Seducing Laura, a Regency novel by bestselling British author, Lynne Connolly
When a fortune hunter attempts to steal her niece’s heart, Laura Wickenham makes every effort to prevent the ill-fated match. But the appearance of charismatic Ross Stansfield, the fortune hunter’s handsome uncle, throws her off balance. Instantaneous and combustible, their attraction makes her question her decision never to love again. When the young couple elopes, Laura sets out in pursuit, and fearing for her safety, Ross loses no time chasing her. Thrown closely together, their attraction becomes impossible to resist.
Ordered to find a master spy in the maelstrom of Regency London, Ross finds duty is a distraction any time he’s near Laura. He can’t make his need for her real until he discovers which of her suitors is a threat to Britain. As desire flares between the two, a world of spies and family scandal threatened to thwart a lifetime of happiness.
The Brass Octopus, by Maeve Alpin
Spinster Librarian Piety Plunkett is happy alone with her books, until her sister transforms her with a bras octopus beautifying machine. With her new look, the librarian catches the lusty attentions of a notorious rogue. Blake Blackmore enjoys the favors of beautiful women from the brothels of London to high society’s most fashionable debutantes, but only the spinster librarian consumes his mind night and day. Piety insists she will not wed but devote her life to her position as head librarian.
Blake takes matters into his own hands. In three passion filled lessons, he tutors Piety in carnal pleasure. Now that she is sharing her body, instead of just her books, Piety is shocked yet pleased at how naughty she can be. But if anyone finds out about what goes on in the library after closing time her reputation would be ruined. Is that Blake’ ultimate plan?
Beneath a Cornish Moon, by Ann Jacobs
A dying man’s last wish: Protect Lea. Make her your bride.
Marrying the lovely, sensual Lea will be no hardship for Alain, Earl of St. Vincent. Keeping her safe may be another matter, for a curse lies upon the St. Vincent lands.
Unless Alain can convince Lea to join with him in the fertility rites of the Winter Solstice, her life and his lands may be forfeit.
Alain’s dark passions seduce Lea’s heart and body, but it will take more than passion to bring St. Vincent back from the dark side of the moon.
Timeless Voyage, by Cornelia Amiri
As the pirate Anwen, presses her dagger against the throat of, Kaeso, her Roman captive, he s captivated by dreams of a woman he loved in a previous life, the mirror image of Anwen. Can Anwen and Kaeso steer their timeless voyage to a happy destiny or will they be robbed of love again?
As the Celtic pirate, Anwen, presses her hard iron dagger against a Roman’s throat, memories of fated lovers, druids and sacrifice, stay her hand.
Wooing the Librarian, by Jane Leopold Quinn
After a spectacularly failed romance left her devastated, all Isis Garrett wants is to start her library in this California town. The last thing she wants is another man, not even the handsome preacher who offers his church for her books.
Pres MacKay is starting a new life as a preacher. He can’t hide his attraction to the sweetly rounded new librarian even as she pushes him away. Can he discover the way into her closed heart and prove to her he’s one of the good guys?
Pres isn’t about to give up on Isis, though. The question is can she forget the pain of the past and see a future with him?
Anwen drew in a deep breath, sighted a Roman, and took aim, twirling the leather sling over her head in a lingering cloud of misty smoke. The iron pellet embedded in the sailor’s forehead, sending him backwards as he fell to his death.
“Good shot, Captain.” Delbaeth threw his dagger at another Roman. It struck the screaming man just below his neck.
Anwen’s heart lurched in her chest as she clambered onto the deck. A burly, bearded man rushed toward her. Grabbing the dagger from her mouth, she jabbed the blade into his belly and twisted it as he clutched her shoulders. He fell to the deck. The stench of blood mingled with the salty scent of sea mist. She let out a rush of air and leapt over his scarlet-stained corpse.
Her neck grew hot from someone gazing hard at her, she wheeled around. Anwen spotted a shadowy figure and rushed toward him. With a flick of her wrist, she pressed her dagger against the man’s throat.
Books The full moon glowed on her catch. His hair shone like spun sunlight streaming aside a stone-smooth face adorned with striking blue-green eyes. “Lugh, the sun god?”
The man gestured for her to release the blade so he could speak.
Curious as to what he had to say, she slid the sharp dagger to his chest.
He gazed straight into her eyes. “Assassin, I ask your name before you send me to the Elysian Fields.”
She clutched the dagger tighter. “I am Anwen, a druid novice of Ynys Mon.”
His full lips parted and he let out a sharp laugh. “The old governor slew the druids of Ynys Mon. They are all dead.”
“I survived.” She tilted her chin high.
“Good fortune then.” He flashed a row of white teeth as he grinned. “And now you hold a cargo of wine and fish sauce.” The Roman’s smile vanished and his eyes grew wide and moist. “Take it all. Just leave me my ship and crew. They are worth nothing to you.”
“I think not.” She took a deep breath. “Your voyage ends here.” Clutching the blade hard, she flicked her wrist to stab him but her arm hung heavy. Startled and shocked, she swallowed. Jerking her head toward her crew, she yelled, “Breccan, Casnar, Torna, tie up the prisoner.”
“What say you?” Starn the Stout balked at her order.
Her captive’s extraordinary eyes, fathomless as the sea, drew her to him. How could a Roman be so handsome?
Thoughts swam in her head. I do not know him. Even if I did, he’s a Roman. I have to hate him.
Laig the Dark headed scowled. “We leave no survivors, save for the Roman slaves we set free.”
Wheeling toward Casnar the Valiant, she shouted, “I am in command here. Keep this one. He’s my hostage.” Her voice vibrated with anger for the weakness she displayed. She’d killed Romans before, many times. Why couldn’t she slay him?
Cornelia Amiri, known as the Celtic Romance Queen is an Amazon bestselling author of 30 books.
