Ashe Barker' s new book - Resurrection is now available! And she's here to share it all with us! Take it away, Ashe :)
Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.
No spoilers, but Resurrection just
screamed at me to be written and as the story unfolds in there are some amazing
twists in the tale, extraordinary events which really did happen and will never
be repeated. Add in the romance of time travel, not to mention an über-sexy
vampire and five hundred years of English history and there is a fabulous story
to be told. I loved writing it, I hope readers enjoy Resurrection as much as I have.
Right from the start she knew it wasn't about love.
As the youngest daughter of a wealthy family in medieval England, Lady Jane of Acton has been betrothed to Gerard Twyfford, the son of the Earl of Roseworth, since she was a baby. A dynastic marriage such as theirs is about power and property, not love but even so Jane desperately yearns for her husband's approval. But Gerard’s rare visits to her bed are for the sole purpose of producing an heir, and she’s even failed at that. How can Jane win Gerard over when she cannot even be the wife he needs her to be?
Would one last chance be enough? Could he make things right, even now?
Ged Twyfford doesn't know what he's missing in life. A powerful vampire, he’s lived for close to six hundred years and seen a lot during his time but his past still haunts him. On a whim, he purchases Roseworth castle, the keep he used to rule as lord. Mostly in ruins now, Roseworth is a shell of what it was when he was still a mortal but Ged is determined to make it his home again. Maybe this is what he's been missing, maybe he needs a place to belong at last.
When a woman emerges from the lake beside his castle, looking and sounding a lot like the wife he lost over five centuries ago, Ged assumes she's a witch out to dupe him. But what if she is who she claims to be? Ged finally realizes just what he had, and just how precious to him was the wife he betrayed all those hundreds of years ago.
Do they really have a second chance or is it just too late to start over?
"My
lord? Is there a problem?" She could surmise from his stormy countenance
as he glared at her across the room that all was not well.
"You
attended Norfolk's bath. Against my express instructions." His normally
bland tone had taken on a cold edge. Jane did not care for it.
"My
lord, I but—"
"Do
you seek to deny it?" He did not raise his voice, but Jane found herself
in no doubt as to the depth of his displeasure even so,
"No,
but I—"
Her
husband strolled across the room to glance out of the window then turned his
head to regard her over his shoulder. "I informed you, did I not, soon
after your arrival in this keep, that I did not expect my wife to perform such
services. Have my wishes in this matter slipped your mind completely, my
lady?"
"Of
course not, my lord, and I thank you for your consideration. But I am lady here, and the Duke is an exalted
guest in our house. It is expected that I should attend to his ablutions
personally. It... it is my duty and my right as Lady of Roseworth."
He
turned to face her fully now, leaning back against the window sill in a posture
deceptively casual. He folded his arms across his wide chest and regarded her
under lowered brows. His azure eyes glittered, reminding her of icy flints. Not
for the first time Jane observed him to be a most handsome man, and utterly
intimidating.
Despite
her trepidation Jane stood before her husband, her spine stiff and her
shoulders back. Gerard might neglect her all he would, but she would not
readily permit him to deprive her of her sole remaining purpose in life. She
took pride in the quality of her housekeeping, and her responsibilities as lady
of the hall included assisting important guests in bathing. It was not a duty
she much cared for, and the knowledge that her husband would not insist upon it
had been welcome enough. His rank alone was the reason she had made this
exception for the Duke of Norfolk.
Her
husband narrowed his eyes. Jane stepped back, her brief flash of temper
dissipating. Whilst not scared of him exactly, she harboured a healthy respect
for Gerard and knew him to have a temper though rarely was it directed at her.
He set high store by obedience though, and it was distinctly possible that she
had overstepped the mark in her defiance.
"Your
right, madam? Your duty? May I remind you that your duty is to obey me. My
instructions were clear and you chose to do otherwise."
Jane's
heart sank. "But—"
"Norfolk
is a lecher, as more than one hapless lady is able to testify. I would not have
you alone with him, or with any man in such a situation. It is not safe."
"He
would never behave inappropriately. Not here, not in my own home."
In
truth, she had found the entire episode distasteful and Jane had no reason to
doubt the accuracy of her husband's assessment of the man. Norfolk had leered
at her as he undressed, sauntering around the bedchamber with his huge, thick
cock bobbing before her eyes. He was clearly aroused by her presence in his
chamber and insisted upon making sure she was aware of it. Given the slightest
hint of encouragement, he might well have pressed his luck further as her
husband clearly suspected. She had seen no point in allowing the vile nobleman
to know that despite five years of marriage to a man no one would describe as
other than virile, Jane was in fact a virgin. This was the first time she had
found herself in close proximity to a naked male and she struggled to conceal
her revulsion. Jane did what needed to be done and made her excuses as hastily
as she decently could.
The
duke had seemed to her to be well enough pleased at the courtesy shown him.
Jane rather resented this interference now from a husband who really ought to
be more appreciative of her efforts on his behalf.
"You
put yourself in danger, and I will not have it, Jane. It is my responsibility
to protect you, to keep you safe."
"I
do not consider that I was in danger, my lord."
"I
do. What is more, I see in your face that you know I am right in this. Even if
Norfolk were the most perfect of gentlemen, he is still a man and you are very
young. Inexperienced. God's bones, madam, you are still a virgin and men's
bathing chambers are no place for you."
"If
I am still a virgin, sir, whose fault is that?"
The
moment the words were out Jane regretted them, wished she could gather up her
reckless remarks and swallow them again whole. The accusation, the complaint,
the implied slur hovered in the air between them as her husband's features
hardened into a stern but incredulous mask.
"I
see we have much to resolve, Jane. We shall start with the matter of your
wilful and dangerous flouting of my instructions." He pushed himself away
from the wall and strolled past her to sit on the side of her bed. "You
will come here, Jane, and lay face down across my lap. You may keep your shift
on if you wish, but you will raise it above your waist."
Jane
gaped at him, aghast. "I will not!"
"Jane,
if I have to come and get you, it shall be a switch you feel across your bare
arse, not merely my hand. Do not make this worse."
"I..
I... you cannot beat me."
"You
are my wife, mine to discipline as I see fit. I will not beat you, but you have
earned a thorough spanking and you shall have it, my lady. You may submit to
this punishment, or not, that is your choice. It will happen anyway."
USA Today Bestselling author Ashe Barker writes erotic romance and spanking romance in a variety of genres including contemporary, BDSM, paranormal, historical. ménage, gay romance and time travel. She is a #1 Amazon Bestseller and all her stories feature hot alpha males and sassy submissives, often with a lot to learn. Kink abounds, and there’s enough dirty talk to satisfy the most demanding smut lover. However dark and dirty the setting, love always emerges triumphant, and her stories never fail to deliver a satisfying happy ever after.
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