Check out The Other Side of Heave (Italian Time Travel Series, Book 1) by Morgan O’Neill
Californian Gwendolyn Godwyn seeks to learn her family’s history and hopes to restore the bond that once existed between her Italian forebearers and those who live in America. While visiting her ancestral Italian town, Gwen is caught in a violent earthquake and inexplicably thrust through time.
At first refusing to believe what has happened, she nevertheless uses her wits to survive, donning a monk’s cowl to hide her identity as a woman. Ripped apart from all she has ever known, Gwen finds herself in the midst of brutal territorial battles in an era she once blithely called “The Dark Ages.” When the golden Italian summer of 951 emerges from the strife and gloom, Gwen joins forces with a cadre of gallant men, allies in the struggle against the evil nobles, Willa of Tuscany and Count Berengar, kidnappers of Italy’s rightful queen, Adelaide.
Along with Father Warinus and Lord Alberto Uzzo, Gwen seeks to rescue Adelaide and restore her kingdom. In the midst of this great adventure, Gwen falls in love with the complex and passionate Alberto, to whom she reveals her identity as a woman. But can Alberto learn to love her strong and independent nature and help Gwen in her quest to discover her rightful place in time?
Sensuality Level: Sensual
Excerpt from Morgan O’Neill’s THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN, Book One of the Italian Time Travel Series:
~ Our time traveling heroine, Gwendolyn Godwyn, disguises herself as a monk in order to survive the turmoil of medieval Italy. Prior to this scene, Gwen escaped from the castle keep of the evil Count Berengar. Our hero and the man of her dreams, Alberto Uzzo, lord of Canossa, found her running toward the forest, desperately trying to flee enemy arrows. He pulled her onto his warhorse and they rode to the safety of the deep woods ~
Gwen and Alberto rode in silence until she said, “I’m not sure I can guide you to Father Warinus’s camp now. I’ve lost track of where we are.”
“I know where we are and where he is. Barca led me to Warinus last night. Jesus God, when I found out what you had done, I …” Alberto’s voice died in strangled fury.
Gwen squirmed, her mind grappling with the dawning realization of just how lucky she was to have escaped.
“We watched helplessly as Berengar returned to his keep,” Alberto went on. “We were too few against his forces, so he passed through the gates unmolested. We could do nothing; I could do nothing,” he leaned over and spat on the ground, “but change the location of your camp, and pray God you would escape at dawn. A night was never so long as that. When I thought of you inside with… what would you have done if I hadn’t shown up when I did?”
“I––”
“You would have died with an arrow to your back, or been returned to Garda for questioning. Imagine your fate then. You have made it a very personal matter with Berengar now, and he will leave no stone unturned to find you, to repay you for the insult. We shall rendezvous with Father Warinus and Barca after nightfall, but only if we find Berengar has recalled his men, which is possible. They merely search for a nosy monk, after all.”
Gwen bristled, but choked back her resentment. “Berengar may have more reason than mere insult at having been infiltrated. Somehow, he realized I was a woman and he came after me – barged right into my room – but instead of raping me as he intended, the bastard tripped and fell when his pants dropped to his ankles. I hit him twice with a bucket. I think I broke his nose. Last I saw, he was lying on the floor, unconscious, bleeding, and limp as a dishrag.”
Alberto said nothing, but she could feel the tension ease in his shoulders and heard him chuckling as he nudged his horse forward. The sound was wonderful, and her anger melted away.
“So then,” he said, “you’ve learned to defend yourself, at least.”
“Funny.” Gwen laid her cheek against his back and loosened her vice-grip on him. She flexed her fingers, then opened them and placed them gently around his waist, intending nothing more than to find a secure hold, but the chain mail was slippery. Suddenly, she could hardly breathe, her fingers on fire as she sensed his flat stomach, taut and etched with muscles. Without thinking, her hands explored upward, across his chest, then returned to his waist, wanting more, until Alberto stopped her hands with his.
Flustered, Gwen bit her lip, pressed her cheek more firmly against him, and tried to control her breathing. This was no time for… that. But all she could see from behind her closed lids were his eyes, his lips, and she entwined her fingers with his.
Heracles made his way down a deeply shaded slope, following a path almost hidden by lush undergrowth, and Alberto raised her hand, kissing her palm.
A moan escaped her. She sat up, startled, embarrassed, and terribly aroused. “Alberto, stop,” Gwen could hardly speak, “stop the horse.”
“A moment more,” he replied. “I must water Heracles, now that he is cooled. There is a small stream up ahead where he can drink, where we can… where we will be safe from spies.”
Once they arrived at the sun-dappled glen, the horse lowered his head to drink from the tiny rivulet of sparkling water. Gwen slid to the ground, clutching Alberto’s tunic, but not for balance. She gazed up and touched his knee.
“Alberto.” Gwen had never wanted anyone so badly, so fully. How could she make him understand how she felt? “Get off your horse,” she whispered, looking up at him. “Please come down.”
His movements measured and deliberate, Alberto swung his leg around, dismounted, and removed his helmet. Dropping it to the ground, he drew her close. “I feared you would never get out of Garda alive,” he said, pushing wisps of hair off her brow, his voice rough with emotion.
Holding her hands, he kissed each palm and then gravely searched her face, his dark eyes pulling her into his heart, into his soul.
Gwen wrapped her arms around his waist and tilted her head back to look at him, inviting his embrace. Her pulse pounding with desire, she touched his chain mail. “Alberto, get rid of it. Take it off.”
He released his hold on her to struggle with his chain mail and sword, cursing their cumbersome weight, before dropping them beside his helmet. His tunic and boots followed immediately afterward, and he stood before her, bare-chested, his dark, loose curls touching his shoulders, his eyes looking straight at her, burning her up.
“Gwendolyn.”
In an instant, she was back in his arms, kissing him as he pulled at her clothes, until she was naked. His arms crushed her body against his, the heat of his bare skin searing.
Cupping her buttocks, he lifted her off the ground. She could feel the swell of him, so hard. The exhilaration of delayed desire, of danger and escape, tore through her and her mouth sought his, desperate to taste, know, and devour. His days-old stubble scraped at her face, the salt of his skin like an elixir.
Clinging to him, kissing as he fumbled with the drawstring of his pants, she felt his fingers brush against her, igniting new fires.
Find out more about Morgan O’Neill:
Two authors writing as one, Cary Morgan Frates and Deborah O’Neill Cordes specialize in recreating pivotal moments in history, epic adventure and romance – with a time travel twist. Their Roman time travel series – LOVE, ETERNALLY, AFTER THE FALL, and RETURN TO ME – was published by Crimson Romance in 2012. The trilogy is now available in e-book format and trade paperback. THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN, Book One of Italian Time Travel Series, was released on May 13, 2013 by Crimson Romance. Its sequel, TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE, will be published on August 12, 2013. www.morganoneill.com
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Time travel romance! Always an interesting premise because it’s difficult to make it believable. I’d love to read how this one works out. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
Dear Linda, Thank you so much for your thought-provoking comments. We work very hard on the believability factor and hope our readers will get swept away with our stories and characters – and suspend their disbelief in time travel. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if it were actually true? We wrote an article about that very thing, titled “Time Travel – For Real?” If you are interested, here is the link: http://www.crimsonromance.com/featured/time-travel-for-real/
Thanks again and best wishes, Deborah (the O’Neill half of Morgan O’Neill) 🙂
Hi Linda! Glad you like the premise. Deb and I work very hard to bring the reader inside the TT reality we create for our heroine, by trying to imagine the scenario happening to us. How would we really react? At what point would we be able to believe such a thing actually occurred, especially if its unplanned and unforeseen? Good luck with the contest!
My fiance is my Italian Stallion and I am hoping to get him to read these with me! I think that would be so cool and exciting! It would be a wonderful learning experience for me and it will remind him of home and the relatives that still live there and we hope to visit in the near future, maybe on our Honeymoon! Thank you for the fantastic excerpt and the gracious giveaway chance to read this marvelous series!
Dear Kimberly, Thank you for your great comments. We have two series set in locales on the Italian peninsula: one in ancient Rome and our newest in medieval Italy. I think both of our heroes from these series – Magnus and Alberto – deserve “Italian Stallion” status, too! I hope you and your fiancé enjoy reading our series, and I know you’ll love Italy when you visit. Grazie e arrivederci, Deborah (the O’Neill half of Morgan O’Neill) 🙂
Hi Kimberly! Congrats on the engagement and all the best. Deb and I have each traveled in Europe, and have first-hand knowledge of many of the places we write about. But, to be extra sure, we’ve had an Italian friend read through our manuscripts and make suggestions, so that when we write about his homeland, it feels like home to him. Good luck with the contest!
I can’t wait to see what Morgan O’Neill comes up with next!
Dear Mary, Thanks for stopping by. The sequel to THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN, titled TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE, will debut on August 12, 2013. We hope you enjoy the continuation of Gwen and Alberto’s story!
Hi Mary! As Deb mentioned, book two in the Italian series is due out in just under two weeks! Good luck in the contest and happy reading!
Love this excerpt! Can’t wait for the new one!
Dear M.J., Thank you so much! The sequel’s release day is only a few weeks away. August 12th, here we come!
Thank you M.J.! Glad you enjoyed it!
Dear Holly, Thank you for featuring the Morgan O’Neill novels on Book Binge. DFRAT is a great idea. There are so many excellent digital first novels, and I’m honored to be part of this wonderful celebration! Hugs, Deborah
Have read all of their books and own the Kindle editions, but I had to comment! First off, love the books! I literally feel like I’m put back in time each time I pick up one of their books. I love history and I especially love that Morgan O’Neill takes you back to times that most other authors don’t write about; the Visigoths, Rome in the 400’s and Italy in the 900’s, I love it! We’ve had some excellent history discussions in my family while I read these books! Not only do you have the history but love stories that simply pull you in. Can’t wait till the second story of Gwen and Alberto. Keep up the excellent work ladies!
Dear Andrea, Thank you for your comments! I’m thrilled you found the history compelling and worthy of discussion. The two series’ plots come from discoveries in my genealogical research. That may be why they are little known eras in history – they’re obscure, yet interesting, stories about some of my ancestors, tales that begged to be retold. I’m so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Hi Andrea! Wow, what a great compliment! Deb and I work very hard for just that sort of response. Thank you for your support and your kind words.Enjoy the Italian sequel – Time Enough For Love, release date 8/12!
Nice setting for the book
Thanks for stopping by, and I agree that Italy is a nice setting. The art department at Crimson Romance placed an image of our heroine before an actual photo of Lake Garda, the location of much of our story. I love our cover!
Hi and thanks! Yes, I agree. Ah, Italy – there’s hardly a more beautiful setting anywhere. 🙂
I’ve been a huge fan of time travel ever since Jude Devereax introduced me to it more years ago than I care to admit to. Morgan O’Neill does a magnificent job of keeping this sub-genre alive. The Roman saga was rich with historical details, and I love the new series, set in Italy.
Thank you for your kind words, Becky. The newest edition of the Italian series is coming soon! August 12th is just around the corner. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it!
Thanks so much, Becky! Kind words from a terrific author – no better compliment!
Love the premise of the book, sounds like truly unique story.
Thank you, Zrinka. It was a lot of fun to write. 🙂
Hi Zrinka. Glad you like the premise – we worked hard to make it unique and special! Happy reading!
TYPICAL Morgan O’Neill book…. WONDERFUL!!!!!
Thank you so much, Beverly! You made me smile. 😀
I’m a big fan. Time travel hasn’t been my thing but great writing wins every time and now I’m hooked. 🙂
You are so kind! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thanks so much for your kind words and support. It means the world to us to hear back from fans, and we work very hard to earn and keep the trust you put in us.
I love time travel romances and these sound amazing!!
Thank you so much, Jolene! These novels come from the heart and I’m thrilled by your interest. Happy reading!
Hi Jolene! We hope you enjoy all of them! Good luck with the contest!
I LOVED the Morgan O’Neill Roman time travel series, rich in detail and story. I can’t wait to read this new series. It sounds characteristically fabulous!
Thank you so much for your lovely words, Sharon!
Hi Sharon! Thank you!! We hope so, and hope you’ll enjoy meeting Alberto and Gwen!
Gwendolyn looks like a tough, resourceful heroine.
She is, Maureen! I love reading and writing time travel, because it’s a lot of fun seeing the past through the eyes of a twenty-first century heroine. You will love how she interacts with the historical characters and events. Wait until you she how rescues Queen Adelaide in Time Enough for Love, our forthcoming sequel. Thank you for stopping by, and happy reading!