One Knight’s Bride Updated Publication Date

I’ve pushed out the publication date for One Knight’s Bride, book 4 in my Rogues & Angels series, until January 21. Although the book is about half done, the words aren’t flowing as well as I’d like. A little extra time – just 30 days more – will help to make Amaury and Isabella’s story the best that it can be. If you have already pre-ordered the book, you may receive a notification from the portal of the delay.

One Knight's Bride, book four of the Rogues & Angels series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix

Amaury de Montvieux returns home from crusade expecting change—but not that his legacy has been claimed by a neighbor, much less that the only way to regain his inheritance is to marry the intruder’s daughter. The maiden is known to be both plain and a shrew, but Amaury does not care: he must hold Montvieux, regardless of the price. He’s never believed that love should stand in the way of questions of importance. Marriage it will be.

Isabella de Marnis secretly admired the handsome knight Amaury, heir of her father’s enemy, long before he rode to crusade, and welcomes this arranged marriage. But no sooner is their betrothal announced than Isabella’s older brother dies in a mysterious hunting accident. When her father succumbs to his grief, Isabella is left alone and Marnis undefended. Fearing that Amaury is responsible, Isabella takes refuge in her ancestral home.

Not to be denied, Amaury storms the gates to claim his bride and secure his legacy. Once victorious, he hears whispers of a plot against him. Has the old enmity between their families undermined their vows? Has his clever wife been scheming to hold Marnis in her own right? Or is she a pawn, trapped in a web of another’s making, in need of Amaury’s protection? Choosing to trust his new bride is the boldest choice he has ever made, but Amaury knows that they can only triumph together. His sole hope is that their alliance is not made too late – but he has not guessed how much Isabella will surrender out of her newfound love for him.

Coming January 2026
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Digital vs. Print

One of the fun things about creating new editions is learning more about the printing process, now just what is possible but how different designs print. There’s often a variation in appearance between the digital image and the final printed product, and I enjoy the challenge of figuring out why – then fixing it.

The new covers for the Champions of St. Euphemia special editions are a good example. They are gorgeous covers, created by Dar Albert. Here are all five of them, plus the new Reader Companion cover:

The Crusader's Bride, book one of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, special edition
The Crusader's Heart, book two of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, special edition
The Crusader's Kiss, book three of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, special edition
The Crusader's Vow, book four of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, special edition
The Crusader's Handfast, book five of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, special edition
The Reader Companion for the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix

When the first copies of the books arrived, I thought they looked a bit dark. This would be because there’s very high ink coverage on this image (the colours are saturated) and the ink would expand slightly on the paper used for the cover. I chose a matte stock which is velvety but slightly more absorbent than a coated glossy paper. Each bit of ink spreads a little bit, and when there’s a lot of ink coverage, the image ends up looking darker. This is called dot gain.

I sent a set of books to Dar to see what she thought and she agreed. She adjusted the files, I uploaded them again, and ordered a new set of books. They arrived yesterday, so I photographed them outside in the shade. The original version is on the left and the updated cover on the right.

The Crusader's Bride, book one of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix

I mostly see the difference in the type, but they are brighter overall.

The Crusader's Heart, book two of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, special edition trade paperback
The Crusader's Kiss, book three of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, special edition trade paperback

The difference also seems greater to me in the two green covers.

The Crusader's Vos, book four of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, special edition trade paperback
The Crusader's Handfast, book five of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, special edition trade paperback

These are the trade paperbacks but the dust jackets on the hard covers are printed on the same paper.

Also, my proof copy of the new Reader Companion arrived. It’s the same trim size as the books, so it’s not that thick, but it looks great. I like the big gem on the back. 🙂

The Reader Companion for the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix
The Reader Companion for the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix

These books were available in my July Kickstarter campaign, which is open for late pledges through August 7. Visit the campaign here.

After that, you can order the books from my online store, right here, for delivery after February 2026. Shop the Champions at Hazel & Honeysuckle Press here.

The Champions of St. Euphemia special editions are coming to Kickstarter in July 2025

Champions Kickstarter Update

I’ve added something new to the Kickstarter campaign for the new special editions of The Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances, coming in July.

I’ve told you about the special editions and the additional rewards for backers. The plan is for the books to be drop-shipped to backers to save one round of postage charges, and for me to mail signed bookplates separately. This weekend, though, I was thinking about those backers who would like actual signed books.

I’m adding a tier to the campaign with all five hardcovers signed. This means they’ll ship to backers from Canada, which might mean a tariff charge if you’re in the US. It should be fine for everyone else. I’ve made the set of vellum inserts part of this tier, since they’re difficult to mail alone – it’s much easier to tuck them into the books for shipping, which ensures they arrive in good condition.

To sweeten this tier with its extra shipping cost, I’m adding a beaded bookmark (made by me. I ordered the charms this weekend.) and a fabric book cover, sewn by me, to protect whichever of the books you’re reading. I’ll show you both of those once the materials arrive and I’ve made my first ones.

That will be my most expensive tier, and instead of having an early bird special, this tier will be limited in quantity. Once they’re gone, they’ll be gone.

new hardcover special edition of The Crusader's Vow, book four of the Champions of St. Euphemia series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, coming to Kickstarter in July 2025

I’ll be adding about a box, too, with one signed hardcover (your choice of the series, but it will default to The Crusader’s Bride) and the print swag from the campaign, as well as more goodies. I’ll work out the details of that by the time the campaign launches.

We need to take care of the people who like signed books!

I’ll also add a local pick-up option for signed books. You’ll be able to pick them up at the Ignited by Books Author Event in September, to save on shipping.

The Champions of St. Euphemia special editions are coming to Kickstarter in July 2025

Follow the Champions campaign at Kickstarter to be notified when it launches. July 9 is the day!

The Duke’s Desire – Today!

The Duke’s Desire is available today from my online store, Hazel & Honeysuckle Press! You can also pre-order it at the portals for delivery next week.

The Duke's Desire, book six in The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction Regency romance series by Claire Delacroix

Esmeralda Ballantyne is the most successful courtesan in London, a woman envied by many and a mystery to all. When her past threatens the future of her younger sister, she finds an unexpected champion in the Duke of Haynesdale, a gentleman driven by his honor to intervene on her behalf, despite his disapproval of her trade. Does she dare to trust her newfound protector with her truth, or is the duke – like so many men of her acquaintance – interested in only one kind of compensation from her? As much as she refuses to surrender to any man, Esmeralda fears her impulse will lead her astray…will the price of capitulation be her fiercely defended independence or her heart?

Damien DeVries, the Duke of Haynesdale, abandoned his rakehell ways when his father bought his commission. The youngest of three sons, he never expected to inherit the duchy, and finds himself discontent, burdened by responsibilities and – according to his mother – past due to wed and provide an heir. The difficulty is that the only woman of interest is the forbidden beauty, Miss Ballantyne. There could not be a less appropriate choice for his duchess, but no other woman tempts him…

Drawn together by an irresistible desire, duke and courtesan agree to a short affair. But their mutual need proves insatiable, growing stronger with each night together. The duke becomes convinced that they must marry – but can Esmeralda ever trust a man fully? Her one last secret will either draw them together or drive them apart forever – when she finally shares it, can they put the betrayals of the past behind and forge a future on their own terms?

Buy the ebook:

Buy directly from the author at Hazel & Honeysuckle Press and have your ebook delivered via BookFunnel

The Beauty Bride in Italian is a FR33 Series Starter!

There are new editions of the Jewels of Kinfairlie available in Italian, and the Italian edition of The Beauty Bride (Un amore da favola) is now a free series starter. Right now, the first three books in the series are available in their new editions – the Italian edition of The Ballad of Rosamunde and of The Renegade’s Heart will be published in new editions in May. The reviews from the previous editions aren’t showing up on these new ones so far, so if you reviewed any of these books in the past, it would be lovely if you could post your review again. 🙂

Un amore da Favola, the Italian translation of The Beauty Bride, a medieval romance by Claire Delacroix

Più preziosi dell’oro sono i Gioielli di Kinfairlie, e solo l’uomo più degno può combattere per ottenere il loro amore…Il Laird di Kinfairlie ha cinque sorelle nubili, ognuna a suo modo una gemma. E lui non ha altra scelta se non quella di trovare loro un marito il più presto possibile.

Il cuore di lady Madeline non è in vendita… Soprattutto per un famigerato fuorilegge come Rhys FitzHenry. Eppure, la sua mano è stata venduta esattamente a quest’uomo, un guerriero stanco di combattere e con una taglia sulla testa. Una fanciulla più docile avrebbe obbedito alla volontà del Laird e accettato in silenzio il proprio destino. Solo che Madeline, che non è mai stata obbediente, decide di scappare, senza neanche immaginare che Rhys possa inseguirla.

Lei non si aspetta che quell’uomo taciturno la corteggi raccontandole storie stravaganti, ognuna delle quali rivelerà le cicatrici che circondano la sua anima. E nemmeno si aspetta che Rhys, pur celando gelosamente i propri sentimenti, possa mettere in pericolo il suo cuore.

Quando il passato di Rhys arriva a minacciare il suo futuro, Madeline decide di credere alla sua innocenza, rischiando la sua stessa vita per abbandonarsi ad una passione più preziosa persino della gemma più rara.

“Un entusiasmante romanzo medievale!”Publishers Weekly

Un amore da favola è un romance storico con una buona dose di avventura, ricco di storie e leggende, un viaggio di una coppia frizzante e appassionata che inizia a conoscersi.”—Maika Medici

Delizioso ed avvincente, questo romanzo scorre facilmente e ci appassiona con tutti i protagonisti, che per non spoilerare troppo ho preferito non nominare. Ognuno di loro gioca un bel ruolo, come dinanzi ad una scacchiera, e vengono mossi i fili giusti per una romantica e magica storia  che porta la firma di una delle più brave scrittrici di romanzi storici e fantasy. Rhys, comunque, resta il mio preferito: come racconta le storie lui… nessuno!“—Il Libro Sel Como’ du Meg