Reader's Edyn: Blitz: Trust in Love (Love Mark 2) by Linda Kage + GIVEAWAY

**Trust in Love by Linda Kage**

Good Morning, Everyone! So thrilled to see you all today! We have another new-to-me author and book! I actually just started this book, so I will be telling you all about it soon! Please allow me to feature on the blog Linda Kage and her latest release, TRUST IN LOVE … and HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

**LINDA KAGE**

**BIO**

Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact.

Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children's literature from The Institute of Children's Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelors in Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.

Now she lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.

Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor...or Hulk (can't decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny.

Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with her romance reading tastes.

To find out more about Ms. Kage, please visit:

Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/APageWithLindaKage/

Email: linda@lindakage.com

**TRUST IN LOVE**

Publication date: May 4^th, 2020

Series: Love Mark #2
Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Romance

**BLURB**

The kingdom of Far Shore still resents Donnelly, its neighboring land, for forming an alliance with those filthy High Clifters and then defeating them in war. Twice! They really must pay for such an insult. And what better way to prick their pride than to steal their lovely, revered princess, mutilate her a little, and then ransom her back to them for a hefty sum.

So, the king blackmails stable hand, Farrow, into accepting the mission of kidnapping Princess Nicolette and bringing her back to Far Shore to meet her gruesome fate.

With his sister’s life on the line, Farrow reluctantly accepts the quest and travels through sand and forest, only to find Nicolette eagerly awaiting his arrival with her bags already packed and good to go, spouting off insane nonsense about being his destiny and one true love.

What follows is a crazy, eclectic adventure that brings two lost souls together and helps them learn who they’re supposed to be and what they’re supposed to do in this ever-changing journey called life.

**EXCERPT 1**

“Given the proper incentive, Farrow here might be more reliable to fulfill this quest than anyone in all of Far Shore.”

I narrowed my eyes. The douche might’ve just complimented me, but I’d never trusted him. Whatever Greggor was thinking, I already knew I wouldn’t like it.

“What do you mean?” The king asked curiously, and I shook my head, wishing he’d just disregard the damn advisor’s suggestion already. Find someone else for his stupid mission.

But he didn’t.

“The boy’s quite fond of that middle girl of yours, isn’t he?” Greggor’s top lip curled into a wicked snarl as he watched my face drain of color. Then he rasped one word.

“Sable.”

And just like that; my entire world shifted on its axis.

Cold, slippery dread slithered through my system.

I immediately waved both my hands, disagreeing. Whatever he wanted to do that involved Sable, I was out. She was an innocent twelve-year-old child. Why should she be brought into any plans that involved kidnapping another kingdom’s princess? This already sounded disastrous.

Turning to my father—my eyes pleading—I said, “No.”

But the panic on my face only caused the king to blink in surprise before he motioned to his advisor. “Keep talking.”

“No,” I growled more vehemently as Greggor said, “We could hold the child in the dungeon until Farrow returns with the Donnelly bitch. And if he fails his mission…” He glanced at me and smiled. “Sable dies.”

“What?!” I shouted. “The hell you say.” Turning to my father, I was even more horrified because I could tell the ignorant ass was actually considering this madness. “Have you lost your damn mind?” I boomed “How could you even ponder such a ridiculous notion? Sable is your daughter.”

King Torrance shrugged. “And you’re my—” He cut himself off before finishing the sentiment.

I held my breath, wondering if this was going to be the moment of truth, when he finally called me son. My heart beat hard in my chest, yearning for that one word, while my stomach churned, also dreading it. Being his would mean I actually belonged somewhere; I was someone. But did I really want to be the heir of this brute?

He snickered and waved a hand. “Well, whatever you are. You’re both equally useless to me, so…” He motioned toward a pair of guards by the entrance of the room. “Fetch the girl.”

“No. Stop!” I stepped toward the guards to waylay them, but the king waved his hand again, and four more knights stepped into my path, blocking my way.

I snarled at them before whirling back to the king. Shit had just gotten real. With Sable involved, my will collapsed like a poorly-dug well.

“You don’t have to involve her,” I told him. “I’ll do it!”

**EXCERPT 2**

Kneeling next to a bush, I swept out my hand and felt around the forest floor, hoping to uncover a hidden panel that opened into the ground.

Behind me, a scraping sound—like stone grinding against stone—echoed through the trees. Halting, I cocked my ear as scuffling and human grunts followed.

Shit. Someone was coming.

Since I was already on my knees, I dropped the rest of the way to my stomach and rolled under the bush. Briars scraped my arms and face as I settled myself out of sight and went still. Waiting. Listening.

A dozen paces away, the newcomer panted and swore, shuffling foliage and earth around as if they were dragging something heavy across the ground. I squinted, wondering what the devil—

“Oh bother,” a feminine voice muttered. “No way in God’s name am I going to be able to carry all this crap by myself.”

Curious, I ducked my head out from under the bush, but it was impossible to see anything through the darkness, and the woman—whoever she was—wasn’t carrying a torch.

Blowing out a settled breath, she stood without moving before she timidly called, “Farrow?”

My eyes flared with shock. How had she known…?

I must’ve just misheard her. No way could she have said my name.

Except she repeated it a little louder and with more certainly this time. “Farrow? Are you out here?”

She stumbled uncertainly in my direction before pausing and exhaling through a small gasp, as if surprised. “Yes, you’re definitely out here,” she revised, talking more to herself than me before she lifted her voice. “Don’t be afraid. It’s just me: Nicolette.”

Nicolette.

My entire system buzzed with a mixture of danger and delight: danger because this had to be a trick. Somehow, the Donnelleans had learned of my mission to steal their princess, and they had sent out some imposter as bait.

But also delight because what if it wasn’t a trick?

No, you’re right. It had to be a trick.

“You can come out from wherever you are. It’s okay. I made sure I wasn’t followed. We’re quite alone.”

Definitely something a fake princess would say if she wanted to lure her Far Shore kidnapper into the open so the three hundred guards lying in wait could tackle him to the ground and kill him posthaste and without prejudice.

Her shuffling came closer until she must’ve tripped and stumbled across something in her path.

“Ouch. Damn, I never realized how uneven these bloody woods were.”

Aha. A princess would never swear like that.

Except, I often heard Bricklynn—Sable’s older sister—curse worse than sailors at port, so of course, the stranger’s language was no way to discern who she really was.

Hell fire.

The pretender was coming unbearably close, though, and heading straight toward me.

Weird. Could she somehow hear me? I wasn’t doing anything to make a sound.

When she plowed into the bush I was hiding under, I winced through her cry of pain. And then I believe she toppled backward and hit the ground.

“Ow, ow, ow. That hurt. Bush. There was a bush there.”

Before I could stop myself, I said, “You okay?”

**EXCERPT 3**

I couldn’t accept what she was saying.

She read the expression on my face—or maybe she really could feel my swirling emotions—because she sighed. “Okay, fine.” She turned toward her horse to dig into one of her satchels. “You’ve at least heard of true love’s kiss, have you not?”

I nodded, even as I said. “Of course, but that’s just a myth.”

“Is it?” Her voice was soft and amused as she rotated back to me, holding up a small blade.

“Wha—” I sprang forward to stop her, for surely she meant to stab me and try to escape.

But she surprised the shit out of me when she said, “Heal me,” just before she sliced open the back of her own forearm.

“What the hell?” I exploded, snatching the dagger from her hand. “Are you insane?”

“Oh God,” she choked, slapping her hand over the cut and sucking in a breath. “That stings. That really burns. I didn’t realize it’d hurt so badly.”

“Of course, it bloody hurts,” I yelled, tucking the knife into my belt and grabbing her arm to see for myself just how deeply she’d gone. “You just filleted your arm open. What did you think it was going to feel like?”

“I didn’t. I was too busy knowing you could heal—what’re you doing?”

“Let me see it.” I tugged her closer, even as I dug my free hand into my own satchel of supplies. “I have some healer’s rags we can use to bind it and stop the bleeding.”

“We don’t need to bind it,” she argued, hissing when I gently lifted her hand from the wound, exposing it to open air. “You just need to kiss me and make it go away already.”

“A kiss isn’t going to heal something his deep, princess.” Jesus, she’d made a tidy little mess of herself. If we didn’t get this cleaned soon, it could become infected.

“Of course, you can fix it. I’ve seen true love’s kiss bring people back from the dead.”

I rolled my eyes. “In some farce of a theatrical performance, no doubt.”

“In real life!” A growl rose from her throat as I pressed my own fingers against the cut to stop the flow of blood. “Lord have mercy, are you always so stubborn and bullheaded?”

“I’m telling you,” I started logically. “A kiss is not—”

She was done arguing with me, though. Reaching out, she grabbed the leather strap I had situated diagonally across my chest, the one that held my war staff in its sheath on my back. Clutching it hard, she used the strap to jerk me forward.

Unprepared for the move, I went stumbling into her until my mouth brutally slammed against hers. Rasping out a sound of surprise, I grabbed her shoulder to steady us both, fully prepared to pull directly away. But she opened her mouth, and her tongue sought entrance.

And just like that, I fell victim to her allure. I let her in and plundered right back, tasting honey and heaven.

Before I realized what I was doing, I gripped a handful of her luscious long hair in my hand and backed her toward the wall. Except the wall was actually Carmel, and once Nicolette backed into the horse, it whinnied in protest and shifted away, which unsettled our balance and caused us to break the kiss in order to catch each other.

Meanwhile, the cut still under the protection of my thumb moved as if stretching or—something. I’m not sure what it did, but it startled the hell out of me.

“What the…?” I lifted my hand and blinked, only to find the cut gone. “But that’s not—”

It just wasn’t possible.

I wiped the blood from her flesh, thinking to reveal the wound somewhere, except it was truly and honestly gone. Not even a scar remained. I looked up at Nicolette, trying to make sense of what was happening here, because none of this was logical.

All she could do was smile at me and whisper, “True love’s kiss.”

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