The Petticoat letters
At the outbreak of the Revolutionary war, Nora Bishop’s home is burned
to the ground—along with her dreams, plans and all her family members
except one. At 20-years-old and still unmarried, she moves to Manhattan
to live with her Loyalist uncle, hoping to find her brother who has
joined the Patriot cause against her late family’s wishes. But, battle
breaks out and she finds herself at the mercy of one American ranger,
Alex Foster, who is the only person in a position to bring her to
safety. Her growing feelings toward Alex and his passion for freedom
help her reevaluate her stance on the case for independence and makes
her question her loyalties further. When she is asked to spy for the
rebels, she agrees. But can she partake in the act of treason and do
what is asked of her when the sadistic Captain William Roth seems to
watch her every move and threatens the life of her brother who has been
captured? And how can she grow closer to Alex when the war threatens to
tear them apart?
Buy link for The Petticoat Letters:
Excerpt from The Petticoat
Letters by Kelly Lyman, Copyright 2017
“I asked you who you are and
where you were going, madam,” he said, staring at me full on, though his eyes
did not hold any threatening luster.
I raised my chin and snorted,
hoping to convince him he did not have any effect on me. God, he’s handsome. And
tall. He’s the tallest man I’ve
ever seen. “And are
you going to shoot me if I don’t answer then?” I snapped.
He cocked his head to the side as
if he was considering my question. I bit the inside of my cheek waiting for his
response. Bloody
hell, what will I do if he says yes?
“No. In truth, I don’t want to
harm you, nor do I have the strength at this moment.” His eyes wandered over my
person. He lowered his pistol. “Though you don’t look very heavy, so I could
manage to throw you over my good shoulder if need be,” he said, shifting his
weight. He winced, and his face paled.
I glanced at both his shoulders
and grimaced at the amount of blood oozing down his injured left side. If I
could keep him talking and standing long enough, maybe he’d faint, and I could
go on my way.
“And why would you feel the need
to throw me over your shoulder?”
“Because you’re coming with me.”
“I most certainly am not.”
“You are. I can’t, in good
conscience, allow you to traipse all through these woods alone. Besides, I
haven’t quite determined if you’re a spy.”
“A spy?” I said, having a hard
time believing my ears. “You’re daft. What sort of idea is that? Do I look like
a spy?”
“Nothing better than a spy with
breasts. They are the least suspecting. It doesn’t help that you’re in the
wrong place at the wrong time.”
I resisted the urge to cover up
and straightened my spine instead.
“I am no spy, sir. Now please
step out of the way so I can continue on with my journey.”
“You’ll come back with me to
camp. And, spy or not, it isn’t safe for a lady to be out here alone.”
He took a step toward me.
“I know where I’m going,” I said,
watching him sway. Is
he going to faint?
“And where is that?”
“You’re hurt.” I gestured toward
him, dismissing his question.
The corner of his mouth turned up
though his face grew whiter still. “Believe me, I know.”
He put his pistol inside the
waist of his pants and took a few clumsy steps toward an oak tree where he
leaned up against its bark. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep
breath. When he opened them, he stared into my eyes. His look was so open and
honest my heart lurched, and I could not but help take a couple of steps toward
him.
He twitched a bit, then his legs
gave out from under him. He slid down the bark of the tree. “What are you
doing?” he said, eyeing me.
I knelt beside him and pulled
back his shirt collar. My eyes grew wide. “Christ,” I said. “It’s a wonder you
were still standing.”
I ripped the edge of my
petticoat, which had fortunately — or unfortunately, depending on one’s opinion
— already torn. I pulled hard when I thought I had enough linen, but because of
the hem, it was difficult. “Bloody hell!” I said, not bothering to whisper. I
didn’t know what possessed me in this moment. I shouldn’t be caring after a man
who thought me a spy. But I couldn’t leave him here to die.
The man moved, and when I looked
up, he had pulled his dagger out of his belt and was handing it to me. I took
it, carefully, and went back to work, slicing through the fabric. After a few
pulls, the rest of the petticoat strip came off, and I laid the dagger on the
ground.
“Has anyone ever told you that
you have the mouth of a sailor?”
“Yes.”
About Kelly Lyman:
Interview With Kelly Lyman:
1.
Can you tell us a little about your books?
My books range from middle
grade to YA fantasy/paranormal to adult historical romance. All my books
tend to have strong-willed females. I love a good adventure story as
well, so my characters tend to travel from home. Romance plays a big
part in my YA and adults books.
2. What inspires you to write?
Goodness! Everything and anything. My kids. Other people. The ocean. I think inspiration is always there as long as you're open to it.
3. When did you know you wanted to write a book?
After I wrote my first one! It was soon after the birth of my second child and I needed a creative outlet. I had this story brewing inside my mind and my friend encouraged me to sit down and write. So, I did. And I haven't stopped.
4.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
Not
really, no. I do my best to write in the mornings after I get my kids on
the bus. If mornings don't work that particular day, I'll try my best
to work in the afternoon.
5. Do you have a favorite food or drink you must have nearby when writing?
I tend to drink coffee in the mornings and hot tea in the afternoons during the fall/winter. I'm pretty boring. LOL
6.
Do you have a favorite spot to write?
This depends on my mood. I do
have an office and my desk faces my backyard so I like to stare out the
window. Sometimes though I find that I need to move my location to help
shake things up a bit. When this happens, I'll write on my bed.
7. If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose?
I'd love to travel to Scotland. However, a white sandy beach somewhere sounds wonderful too.
8.
What are writing projects are you currently working on?
I'm currently
working on Book 2 in the Rebels of the Revolution series (The Petticoat
Letters is book 1). I'm also finishing a middle grade. I have about two
chapters left!
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