Shattered Secrets by Lana Williams
Thank you so much for having me here today, Cindy! It’s such a pleasure to hang out with one of the Love Historicals Authors (www.lovehistoricals.com)! I’m so excited to share the cover for my upcoming release, Shattered Secrets, Book 3 of The Secret Trilogy. This is a historical romance set in Victorian London, 1882 to be precise.
I’m thrilled with the cover, which was done by Kim Killion. What do you think??
This has been a fun book to write, but definitely a challenge as it’s the third book in a trilogy that shares the same villain. Needless to say, the stakes continue to increase. The trilogy follows the stories of three lords who attended university together and were mentored by the same professor. The professor was fascinated by electromagnetism and with the aid of the three lords, conducted an experiment that went terribly wrong, injuring all involved.
The book will be released on March 15. Here’s a little bit about it:
Some secrets are never meant to be shared…
Scarred from a terrible accident, Lucas Stanby swore never to return to England. But his brother’s murder forces him home ten years later as the new Earl of Berkmond and guardian of his two young nieces.
As the local vicar’s daughter and a childhood friend, Moira Dorsey naturally set aside her hopes of a family of her own to care for the earl’s daughters. Lucas’s return makes it impossible to remain since he broke Moira’s heart years ago, but the girls have other ideas.
Lucas realizes he needs Moira to keep his personal demons at bay as well as deal with two rambunctious girls. He offers Moira a marriage of convenience, hoping to keep his dark secret, aware he’s too broken to be the husband she deserves.
Moira discovers Lucas’s cold demeanor hides deep scars but glimpses of the boy she loved give her hope. She counters his proposal, asking for a babe of her own, wanting Lucas to see he’s not the beast he believes.
Unable to deny his growing feelings, Lucas agrees, but his past disrupts their second chance at love, dragging Moira and the girls into danger. He soon realizes he must share his terrible secret with Moira and risk losing her forever in order to stop the villain who threatens them all.
Here’s a brief excerpt:
Moira Dorsey held onto her sanity with the finest of threads, unable to believe the disaster spread before her. A mess of this magnitude could only be the work of the two she knew all too well. She blinked again, in terrible awe at the chaos they had created in the governess’s room.
Dresses, hats, and linens were strewn about the bedroom along with a skipping rope, and a miniature tea set. Fine white dust covered everything. A dark brown substance—perhaps mud from the pond?—smeared the pillows. A frog—make that three—jumped over the mess, croaking as they went.
If there was one thing their new governess detested, it was chaos. Not to mention frogs.
“Oh, dear.” Moira’s breath caught as the ramifications of the mess struck her in full. “Mrs. Sutfin!” She spun and rushed from the room, praying the woman hadn’t already fled. Not now. Not today. “Mrs. Sutfin?”
The sound of the front door creaking open quickened Moira’s pace. As she flew down the stairs, she caught sight of the back of the governess storming out the door, her suitcase in hand. “Wait, please,” Moira called as she hurried into the foyer.
The older woman turned to glare at her. “Nothing you can say will convince me to remain, Miss Dorsey. Did you see my room?”
“Yes, I did. I’m terribly sorry. It will be cleaned immediately.” Moira paused, trying to think of some way to convince the woman to stay. “We will double your pay for the next three months of your employment. The twins only need more time to adjust.”
“No.” Her lips firmed into a thin, unwavering line. “Those girls might look precious, but their behavior is appalling.”
“I’ll speak to them. I promise this won’t happen again.”
“I believe you’ve already spoken with them several times since my arrival five days past and it did no good. The little heathens.”
Moira stiffened at the heated anger in the last statement. She loved Amelia and Addie with her entire heart and soul. She would protect them with her very life. Granted, their recent actions were unacceptable, but heathens? That seemed too much. “The grief over their father’s death two months ago—”
“I’m sorry but their behavior removes any sympathy I might have had for them.” The older woman shuddered. “The things they’ve done in the brief time I’ve been here are insufferable. In all honesty, I fear for my safety. Good luck in finding someone who will tolerate their deplorable conduct.”
Moira scowled. “I’ll wish you good day then.” No one spoke about the twins in that manner. Except her. But she couldn’t hold back the pang of regret as the woman marched down the steps along with all of Moira’s well laid plans to leave Traverston Manor this very day.
“That’s the fourth one.” Mrs. Toller, the housekeeper, moved to stand beside her. “Mayhap she’s right to call them heathens.”
“What on earth has gotten into those girls?”
“They don’t want you to leave, Miss Dorsey.” The housekeeper smiled up at her. With a round face, a warmth in her blue eyes, and a wide girth, she, along with her husband who served as the butler, had held the Berkmond family home together for as long as Moira could remember. Mrs. Toller loved the little girls as much as Moira.
“I’m only moving back home across the meadow for goodness sake. My stay here was always supposed to be temporary.” Exasperated, Moira shook her head. “Lucas—er—Lord Berkmond might arrive this very day. I wanted the girls settled with their new governess before then. Now I’ll have to begin all over again.”
“I’m not certain you’ll have time.”
Moira frowned, hoping that wasn’t true. “One of the other governesses we interviewed might still be available. Traveling by ship from Brazil is not the most reliable method. We might have another day or two before—”
Mrs. Toller pointed to the drive where a big black coach rumbled down the lane, past the carriage, headed directly for the house. “I’d say his lordship has arrived.”
“Oh, no.” Moira’s stomach dropped at the sight. She’d planned his arrival to coincide with her departure with such care. Certainly, she’d allowed for some trials and tribulations, but it seemed she’d underestimated the twins. Now she was about to face the one person she’d prefer never to lay eyes on again.
Lucas Stanby, the new Earl of Berkmond.
If you’d like to be notified when the book is released, please sign up for my newsletter at www.lanawilliams.net.
Since it’s nearly Valentine’s Day, I’d love to hear what plans you have for the weekend. One lucky commenter will receive an ebook of Unraveling Secrets, Book 1 of the trilogy!
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