The Beauty is a Free Read!

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Deborah Cooke

The Beauty, book five of my Bride Quest series of medieval romances, is a free read at most portals – today through October 30! Fall in love with Angus and Jacqueline’s story today!

Remember that there are new print editions of this series coming in November, in both hard cover and mass market formats.

The Beauty, #5 The Princess, #1 of the Bride Quest series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix

Certain she will never wed for love, sworn to let no man possess her for her beauty alone, Jacqueline de Crevy has vowed to become a bride of God. But en route to the convent of Inveresbeinn, her party is ambushed by a knight, who snatches Jacqueline from her saddle and spirits her away with him.

He is Angus MacGillivray—not the black-hearted ravisher she fears but a valiant man of honor who has returned to Scotland seeking justice…and revenge. Angus has come home from the Crusades to find his family murdered and his birthright seized. Sworn to reclaim his rightful lands, he has kidnapped the stepdaughter of Duncan, chieftain of Clan MacQuarrie — Angus’s avowed enemy.

But his lovely captive refuses to be the chattel—or ransom—of any man…until Jacqueline senses the yearning heart beneath Angus’s embittered facade. In spite of himself, Angus has let this defiant beauty touch his very soul. And as desire flames between them, a lady fair and her battle-scarred knight will fight for a love that could banish all the sorrows of the past…

“With its well-drawn background and escalating sexual tension, The Beauty is a tale to warm a winter’s night.”
Romantic Times

The Beauty, book five of the Bride Quest series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix in its original mass market edition — Original mass market edition

“A lovely story!”
The Oakland Press

USA Today Bestseller

New York Times Bestseller

Winner
2001 Best Long Historical Romance
Greater Detroit RWA Booksellers’ Best Awards

A Rhapsody Book Club Selection

tropes for The Beauty, book five of the Bride Quest series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix

“Another fantastic medieval romance from this extremely talented author! Wow, I can’t praise this book enough. I loved these two characters so much, as well as the storyline. Containing myriad twists and turns and surprises before reaching stunning completion, you won’t want to miss reading this one!”
Old Book Barn Gazette

Buy The Beauty ebook:

“The Beauty is a heart-wrenching beauty-and-the-beast tale…a tale readers can devour. Thank goodness there are other books in the Bride Quest series—I’m hooked!”
The Romance Journal

The Beauty Boo-Boos

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Deborah Cooke

In the midst of uploading twelve new books with interiors and covers, I made a mistake. I ordered hardcover copies of The Beauty which didn’t have the reader letter.

Oops!

The page for the reader letter in these boo-boo books looks like this:

The Beauty new 25th anniversary Bride Quest commemorative edition, with no reader letter

It should look like this:

The Beauty new 25th anniversary Bride Quest commemorative edition, with printed reader letter

These books are identical to the final hardcover editions otherwise, and it’s a shame to waste such pretty books. I’m having a sale to find them new homes – essentially, I’m selling them at cost.

Each book will be signed and numbered. I’ve printed the reader letter and will tuck it into the book, like this:

The Beauty new 25th anniversary Bride Quest commemorative edition, with inserted reader letter

You’ll also get a set of Bride Quest postcards, bookmarks and some stickers from the Kickstarter campaign.

This book is available for pre-order from the portals for $39.99US for November delivery.

The Beauty Boo-Boos are $40CA (almost exactly $30US), including postage to US addresses – signed, numbered and with swag you won’t get from the portals. Most of that is the postage cost. There’s an additional postage charge for other geos: $10CA for CA, $15CA more for UK or AU addresses.

When they’re gone, they’re gone.

Here’s a video on YouTube showing the book.

If you’d like to claim one of these books, please send me an email. I’ll send you a Paypal invoice. Once it’s paid and I have your details, I’ll sign your book and get it on its way to you.

Buy Links for Easter at Airdfinnan

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Deborah Cooke

Don’t miss this new story set in the world of the Bride Quest, coming in December! This one was intended to be a short story, but ended up being a novella. I think you’ll enjoy Margaret and Nicholas’ second chance romance and their battle of wills!

Easter at Airdfinnan is an epilogue to the Bride Quest II trilogy, set six years after the end of The Temptress.

Six years after the end of The Temptress, the family have all been invited to Airdfinnan to celebrate Easter, as well as the knighting of Jacqueline and Angus’ oldest son Fergus. There’s also a betrothal planned between their oldest daughter, Annelise, and Rowan’s son, Nicholas. An arranged marriage between the pair might make sense, but more than one person in attendance is keeping quiet about their doubts. The mysterious vine that bloomed during Bayard’s courtship of Esmeraude is growing again, though, seemingly determined to ensure that the path of true love succeeds. Will Nicholas make a love match instead of an arranged marriage?

This story is included in the new 25th Anniversary commemorative hard cover and mass market paperback editions of The Temptress, and will be published on its own in ebook.

Coming December 12, 2023.

Pre-order available at some portals.

New Bride Quest Swag

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Deborah Cooke

I had some new goodies printed for the Bride Quest Kickstarter campaign and wanted to show you. Right now, they’re only available to the backers of the campaign – you can expect this in future, that advance or exclusive swag will be available at Kickstarter. I have these printed in small quantities, so there aren’t many leftovers.

First, there’s a new bookmark showing the 25th anniversary commemorative mass market editions of all six Bride Quest books. This is a really fat bookmark, almost a postcard.

BIG bookmarks for the Bride Quest 25th anniversary commemoraitve editions

I’ll order more of these in the fall and add them to the swag you can request from me, as part of the launch of the new editions in November.

Next, I did postcards of the six cover illustrations. Backers get a set of all six. The new logo is on the back of each one. When these are gone, they’re gone.

Set of six postcards with the illustrations for the Bride Quest 25th anniversary commemoraitve editions

Then I ran some stickers because they’re just so cute. These are tiny, and again, backers get a set of six, one of each cover illustration. When these are gone, they’re gone.

Set of six mini-stickers with the illustrations for the Bride Quest 25th anniversary commemoraitve editions

There also is a set of six colouring pages to download, print and colour. I’ll make those available for download here in November as part of the launch of the new editions.

There are a few sets of postcards and stickers left, but I haven’t decided whether to save them for my next Kickstarter campaign and sell them as add-ons or sell them in sets in November from here. If you have strong thoughts either way, please comment on the post.

Aren’t they pretty, though?

Buy Links for Christmas at Tullymullagh

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Deborah Cooke

Don’t miss this new story set in the world of the Bride Quest, coming in December!

Christmas at Tullymullagh is a Bride Quest story and #7 in the series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix

Five years after the end of The Heiress, the brothers Fitzgavin gather at Castle Tullymullagh with their wives and families to celebrate the Yule, and a gentle ghost seizes the opportunity to add to the good fortune of all.

This short story and epilogue to the Bride Quest I is available in ebook on its own, and is included in the new mass market paperback and hard cover editions of The Heiress. Although it actually occurs after events in The Countess, you don’t have to read Eglantine and Duncan’s story before this one.

This story is included in the new 25th Anniversary commemorative hard cover and mass market paperback editions of The Heiress, and will be published on its own in ebook on December 12, 2023.

Pre-order available at some portals.