The Duke’s Desire & the Ladies’ Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction

Sometimes characters don’t follow the author’s plans.

The Hellion’s Heart, book four of The Ladies’ Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

The romance between the Duke of Haynesdale and Esmeralda Ballantyne was planned to be a sub-plot that carried through the entire series of The Ladies’ Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction. By book four (The Hellion’s Heart) it’s become clear to me that these two need their own book and so they’ll get it.

Some of the scenes in their book will appear in earlier books in the series. They may be shorter or told from another point-of-view. This book will include more (new) scenes and more detail about these two. It will be published as book seven in the series so that there are no spoilers in the other books of the series—you’ll know they’re together by the end of book six, but The Duke’s Desire will fill in all the gaps.

Publication is planned for a year out because there will be two more books in the series first:

The Hellion’s Heart will be published in July

• Book five will release in October 2024

• Book six will release in January 2025

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

The Duke’s Desire, book seven, will be an April 2025 release.

• Book eight will be Sylvie’s story with publication planned for August 2025.

• The series will wrap up with a Christmas novella in November 2025.

The pre-order for each book will be created when the book itself is completed, so keep an eye out for those. I really like this plan. Once I get ahead of things a bit, I’ll see about sliding some other stories into my schedule, too.

I’ll show off some of the new covers in my next Knights & Rogues newsletter, including The Duke’s Desire. That goes out June 5 so there’s still time to sign up.

Sign up for my Knights & Rogues medieval romance newsletter.

Updates for the Final Week of my Blood Brothers Kickstarter Campaign

Tick tock! The Blood Brother’s Kickstarter campaign ends this coming Saturday. Don’t miss out on these special editions – or of being a part of making them happen!

Blood Brothers BookWorm Swag Box

We have enough goodies now for the BookWorm Swag Box, so I’ve added that tier to the rewards. It includes the new special edition trade paperback of The Wolf & the Witch (that’s the one with the duplexed cover), a spiral notebook with the cover of The Hunter & the Heiress, a set of the new postcards, a book charm with one of the new Blood Brothers covers on it, as well as all digital swag in the campaign. If we add more physical goodies, they’ll be included in this box.

One of the things I’m hoping to add is a set of character cards, but we need to reach our stretch goal for the set of nine family trees first – it’s so close!

There’s another new addition to the campaign, too. Everyone who backs a full set of the special edition books in any format (ebook, trade paperback or hardcover), signed or not, will have their name included in the acknowledgements of the new editions. Yes, in all four books, in all three editions.

Come on over to Kickstarter and check out the Blood Brothers campaign! Don’t miss your chance to make pretty books together!

The Scot & the Sorceress special edition available in the Blood Brothers Kickstarter February 2024

Set of Four Notebooks Available in my Blood Brothers Kickstarter Campaign

Once again, I’ve added new rewards to my campaign. Since people liked the single notebook, I’ve added a set of four, one with each cover illustration. Here’s my digital mark-up of how they’ll look.

4 spiral notebooks with Blood Brothers cover illustrations

These notebooks are 5.5″ by 8.5″ with 80 blank (lined) pages inside. Better yet, they’re spiral bound so you can open them flat for writing. When you back the tier with the four notebooks, you’ll also get a set of four new bookmarks.

Four Bookmarks for the Blood Brothers Kickstarter campaign

And as a special bonus, if you order the set of four bookmarks before Friday February 23 at midnight, I’ll include a book charm. I’ve made book charms in the past with my book covers, and I’ll make some with the new Blood Brothers covers. Here are the ones I’ve made before:

Bookcharms made by Deborah Cooke

I’ll make some this weekend with the new Blood Brothers covers. They’ll be like the new duplexed trade paperbacks, with the illustration on the inside front flap. So, order a set of notebooks by Friday and you’ll get one of the new bookcharms, too, as well as the new bookmarks.

Remember our other stretch goal now, to add NINE family trees. First, there’s the family tree of Jean le Beau and his four sons. That will go in the front of each special edition. Then there are two additional family trees for each book, one for the hero and one for the heroine.

Blood Brothers stretch goal of nine family trees

So, when we unlock this goal, the special editions of The Wolf & the Witch, for example, will have Jean le Beau’s family tree at the front, as well as Maximilian’s family tree and Alys’ family tree at the back of the book. The family trees will also be available as digital downloads for all backers. This stretch goal will unlock when the campaign reaches $2900CA in total funding.

Come on over to Kickstarter and check out the Blood Brothers campaign! We’re making pretty books together!

new edition of The Dragon & the Damsel in the Blood Brothers Kickstarter

New Notebooks in my Blood Brothers Kickstarter Campaign

I added a new tier to my campaign and wanted to share it with you. We have notebooks!

one spiral notebook in the Blood Brothers Kickstarter campaign

I was thinking of other ways to enjoy Dar Albert’s fabulous new Blood Brothers illustrations, and I thought of blank notebooks. I love blank notebooks! These notebooks are 5.5″ by 8.5″ with 80 blank (lined) pages inside. (That’s a digital mockup of the cover above.) Better yet, they’re spiral bound so you can open them flat for writing.

Right now, we have a spiral notebook with the illustration for The Hunter & the Heiress on it. If you back the reward with one notebook, right now, this is it. BUT we have a new stretch goal – once there are seven backers of this tier, I’ll add notebooks with all four covers. Those who back one notebook will get a choice, but there will be a new tier with all four.

Remember our other stretch goal now, to add NINE family trees. First, there’s the family tree of Jean le Beau and his four sons. That will go in the front of each special edition. Then there are two additional family trees for each book, one for the hero and one for the heroine.

Blood Brothers stretch goal of nine family trees

So, when we unlock this goal, the special editions of The Wolf & the Witch, for example, will have Jean le Beau’s family tree at the front, as well as Maximilian’s family tree and Alys’ family tree at the back of the book. The family trees will also be available as digital downloads for all backers. This stretch goal will unlock when the campaign reaches $2900CA in total funding.

Come on over to Kickstarter and check out the Blood Brothers campaign! We’re making pretty books together!

New print editions of the Blood Brothers series of medieval Scottish romances by Claire Delacroix coming to Kickstarter in February 2024

New Stretch Goal in my Blood Brothers Kickstarter Campaign

I’m excited today because we unlocked the second stretch goal in my Kickstarter campaign. The Blood Brothers map, hand-drawn by Ellen Tribble, will be added to the new editions – the ebook special editions, as well as the new trade paperbacks and new hardcovers.

Blood Brothers map drawn by Ellen Tribble

I love maps, so I’m pretty excited about this addition to the books – it’s the first time I’ve commissioned a map for one of my series!

We have a new stretch goal now, to add NINE family trees. First, there’s the family tree of Jean le Beau and his four sons. That will go in the front of each special edition. Then there are two additional family trees for each book, one for the hero and one for the heroine.

Blood Brothers stretch goal of nine family trees

So, when we unlock this goal, the special editions of The Wolf & the Witch, for example, will have Jean le Beau’s family tree at the front, as well as Maximilian’s family tree and Alys’ family tree at the back of the book. The family trees will also be available as digital downloads for all backers. This stretch goal will unlock when the campaign reaches $2900CA in total funding.

Remember that there’s also a stretch reward that ends at midnight tonight!

Beguiled ebook stretch reward February 16 in Blood Brothers Kickstarter campaign

Every backer who has pledged $25CA or more by midnight tonight will get the ebook of Beguiled, my collection of romantasy short stories and novellas. I’ll send out the ebooks via BookFunnel tomorrow so you can start reading right away.

Come on over to Kickstarter and check out the Blood Brothers campaign! We’re making pretty books together!

New print editions of the Blood Brothers series of medieval Scottish romances by Claire Delacroix coming to Kickstarter in February 2024