Lancelot's Lady [Kindle Edition]

Cherish D'Angelo (Author), Cheryl Kaye Tardif (Author)

Book Description

A Bahamas holiday from dying billionaire JT Lance, a man with a dark secret, leads palliative nurse Rhianna McLeod to Jonathan, a man with his own troubled past, and Rhianna finds herself drawn to the handsome recluse, while unbeknownst to her, someone with a horrific plan is hunting her down.

* * *

When palliative care nurse Rhianna McLeod is given a gift of a dream holiday to the Bahamas from her dying patient, billionaire JT Lance, she has no idea that her 'holiday' will include being stranded on a private island with Jonathan, an irritating but irresistibly handsome recluse. Or that she'll fall head over heels for the man.

Jonathan isn't happy to discover a drop-dead gorgeous redhead has invaded his island. But his anger soon turns to attraction. After one failed marriage, he has guarded his heart, but Rhianna's sudden appearance makes him yearn to throw caution to the wind.

To live fully in the present, Rhianna must resolve her own murky past, unravel the secret that haunts JT, foil the plans of a sleazy, blackmailing private investigator and help Jonathan find his muse. Only then can Rhianna find the love she's been searching for, and finally become...Lancelot's Lady.

By bestselling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif, writing as Cherish D'Angelo

*Winner of the 2010 Textnovel Editor's Choice Award. 2009 Semi-finalist in the Dorchester Publishing "Next Best Celler" contest, hosted by Textnovel. Voted #1 Most Popular for first 3 months of contest; #3 Most Popular for last 2 months.

“From the cold rocky shores of Maine to the extravagant mansions of Miami to a lush tropical island in the Bahamas, Cherish D'Angelo takes her heroine through a series of breathtaking romantic adventures that mirror the settings, often in surprisingly ironic ways. A page turner in the best possible sense.” ―Gail Bowen, author of the award-winning Joanne Kilbourn series

“Romance, mystery, danger, black-mail, and twists and surprises, this tale contains them all… Despicable intentions threaten every character in this finely crafted tale of sweet tension…Lancelot’s Lady is a non-stop adventure combined with the agonizing struggle to not give in to the magnetism between them. Enticing. Fun.” ―Midwest Book Review

“Cherish D'Angelo has got that mythical “voice” down to a fine art.” ―Jennifer L. Hart, author of River Rats

“Lancelot's Lady is riveting. It holds on and won't let you go! Cherish D’Angelo’s descriptive powers are amazing. She summons up scenes like genies from bottles!” ―Susan J. McLeod, author of Soul and Shadow

"Tardif, already a big hit in Canada...a name to reckon with south of the border." ―BOOKLIST

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

When romance author Cherish D'Angelo is not busy relaxing in her hot tub, sipping champagne, eating chocolate-covered strawberries or plotting romantic suspense with scintillating sensuality, she is ruthlessly killing people off in her thrillers as bestselling Canadian suspense author, Cheryl Kaye Tardif.

Cherish's debut romance, Lancelot's Lady placed in the semi-finals of Dorchester Publishing's "Next Best Celler" contest and went on to win an Editor's Choice Award from Textnovel. Currently living in Edmonton, Alberta, she enjoys long walks on the beach, except there aren't any around so she has to make do with trips around the hot tub or a vacation to a tropical paradise. And margaritas.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif is an award-winning, bestselling Canadian suspense author. Her novels include Children of the Fog, The River, Divine Intervention, and Whale Song, which New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice calls "a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart...a beautiful, haunting novel."

Her next thriller, Divine Justice (book 2 in the Divine series), will be published in spring 2011, in ebook and trade paperback editions.

Cheryl also enjoys writing short stories inspired mainly by her author idol Stephen King, and this has resulted in Skeletons in the Closet & Other Creepy Stories (ebook) and Remote Control (novelette ebook).

Booklist raves, "Tardif, already a big hit in Canada...a name to reckon with south of the border."

Cherish's website: cherishdangelo.com
Official blog: cherylktardif.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/cherylktardif

You can also find Cheryl Kaye Tardif on MySpace, Facebook, Goodreads, Shelfari and LibraryThing, plus other social networks.

Product Details

• File Size: 861 KB
• Print Length: 250 pages
• Publisher: Imajin Books; 1 edition (September 17, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0043GX8C4
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,283 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great romantic suspense September 28, 2010

By J Subject

Format:Kindle Edition

As part of the CHERISH THE ROMANCE virtual book tour, Cherish D'Angelo (the pen name of Cheryl Kaye Tardif) granted me a copy of Lancelot's Lady to read and write a review. I'm glad she did, because I loved LANCELOT'S LADY.

Rhianna McLeod is a faithful nurse to her father-like patient J.T. Lance. As a gift for her birthday, J.T. sends Rhianna to the Bahamas for a much needed vacation. Reluctant to leave the dying billionaire, Rhianna follows his wishes and instead of staying at a lush resort he promised, she finds herself on a remote island at a house which hasn't had company in years.

It is there Rhianna meets Jonathan, the reclusive owner of the island and literally the man of her dreams. Complete with a bad attitude, Jonathan's life remains shrouded in mystery until their first kiss begins several revelations, but also rehashes Rhianna's tarnished childhood. On top of that, she still does not understand why J.T. sent her to the island without the owner's prior knowledge.

In this romantic suspense, the romance is not present in the beginning, but Cherish D'Angelo leads with suspense - Tardif's specialty - to carry the reader through. The first chapters of Lancelot's Lady are important background scenes full of suspense to develop the story. Clues are inserted throughout the novel, revealing several previously unknown connections between the characters.

Lancelot's Lady follows the story structure of a good romance, making the story seem predictable, but the ending came as a complete surprise to me and left me crying but satisfied.

On top of the romantic and suspenseful plot, this story also contains a dreamy private island setting and a well-rounded secondary cast of characters, including one bent on destroying J.T. and abducting Rhianna to use as he pleases, making Lancelot's Lady a great romantic suspense.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A gothic beach read October 1, 2010

By R. Kyle TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

Rhianna McLeod is a palliative nurse who's traveled from Maine to Florida on the promise of a job with JT Lance, a wealthy man who's suffering from an aggressive form of brain cancer. When she arrives, the butler's indefinite about the promises his employer made in the letter that got her there. They have already filled the position. However, when Rhianna sees JT Lance, he calls her "Anna."

The Lance mansion feels like home to an abused orphaned child who's never known a real home before. One odd thing is a painting with no artist's signature entitled Lady in the Mist. This painting resembles Rhianna to a T.

Rhianna quickly becomes like a daughter to the elderly JT. She's shocked when he offers her a six-week vacation to Angelina's Isle, a resort island just northeast of Nassau in the Bahamas. She's understandably reluctant to go, considering JT's condition, but he insists advising her that he'll be there when she returns. She leaves, vowing to have the best time she can, knowing when she returns that JT will be closer to death.

The island resort is definitely not what it's billed to be by her employer. The sign on the dock says `No Trespassing' and while the host looks like the man Rhianna's dreamt about, Jonathan is anything but welcoming. Worse, the place truly is remote. In order for Rhianna to get there, the boat carrying her had to leave off the parts to fix the island's only radio which was their connection to the outside world.

So, is the place a tropical paradise or a trap?

But, then there's Misty. Jonathan's hearing impaired child, a beautiful little girl who needs someone to love her since her mother's abandoned her when she realized she hadn't had a perfect baby. The girl immediately takes to Rhianna. Rhianna agrees to spend her vacation teaching Misty ASL since the teachers Jonathan's hired to do so have failed miserably. She quickly learns Misty's a lot brighter than everyone thinks and has even taught herself to read lips. Rhianna teaches the little girl far more, to dance to love music.

Not so much the child's father. Jonathan is "a man of mystery. A secretive man who was incredibly, irresistibly...rude." Rhianna's irresistibly attracted to him, but her past and his attitude warn her away. The feeling's quite mutual. Jonathan's past experience with his ex-wife has inclined him to mistrust women, particularly beautiful ones.

Of course, there's got to be trouble in Paradise. This comes in the chubby form of Winston Chambers, a private eye who JT Lance hired to find Rhianna. He knows JT's secret and he's going to tell Rhianna if JT doesn't pay up. Then, he gets a more vicious plan to kidnap Rhianna and extort money from both JT and Jonathan.

"Lancelot's Lady" is a great beach read, even if you can't be on the beach. How someone can pull off a gothic feel in a tropical paradise, I will never know, but the author has managed to do just that. The story's strong on character and suspense. Both kept me turning pages well into the night. Add to that, a couple of twists that even a DuMaurier or Bronte would be proud of, and you've got a winner.

Rebecca Kyle, October 2010

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good plot but too much wrong! April 19, 2012

By Dafna Yee

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you don't know the facts behind some of the major premises of the book, Lancelot's Lady, then I can see why it received only four and five star review because it did have a good plot, authentic dialogue, interesting characters, and realistic imagery. However, I do know a great deal about rape victims as well as how difficult it is to learn ASL (American Sign Language) and neither one is portrayed accurately in the book.

Rape victims require a great deal of effort and time to work through the issues of trust and sexual arousal. Those issues would certainly not have been worked through just by making the decision to do so and just deliberately pushing one's memories aside nor could healing be achieved with one or two sexual experiences.

As for ASL, it is as difficult to learn as any other foreign language. It is not just a matter of learning vocabulary (individual signs); one needs to learn an entirely new grammar and correct "pronunciation" in order to communicate fluently. This knowledge takes time and a great deal of practice to accomplish; it could not be done in four weeks, especially if words are spoken at the same time. The same is true for lip reading; it is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced so a child like Misty could not have just picked it up on her own.

After a horrible experience of being almost forcibly drowned, I can't imagine that all it would take for Rhianna to enjoy swimming --
particularly underwater -- would be swimming lessons at the YMCA. Yet that is what occurred in the book.

While the book was spoiled for me, if you are not bothered by the lack of realism, then you would probably enjoy this book.

More About the Author

"ONE DOESN'T SIMPLY READ A TARDIF STORY, ONE EXPERIENCES IT!"

Dear reader:

I'm an international bestselling Canadian author who loves to say, "I kill people off for a living!" You can imagine the looks I get from people. Sometimes I'll tell them, "Fictitiously, of course. I'm an author." Sometimes I won't say anything; I'll let them wonder...

On March 4th, I'll be celebrating the release of my latest thriller, SUBMERGED, with an online launch party, featuring 6 other thriller authors.

I am probably best known for Children of the Fog, a supernatural suspense thriller that has sold over 50,000 copies (Sept 2012) and made Amazon's Top 100 bestsellers list (overall list) multiple times out of nearly 2 million ebooks; and Whale Song, a much-loved, inspiring family tale with a hint of mystery, which is now available in its third edition--plus a school edition with a discussion guide.

Whale Song, an emotional mystery that explores controversial issues like assisted suicide, school bullies and racism, has captured the attention of numerous film companies. A screenplay, which I wrote with co-writer Alison Neuman, was completed in 2006, along with a movie treatment. I'm pursuing possible film deals for many of my books. And sometimes when I think of a movie deal, I smell buttered popcorn.

Booklist calls me "a big hit in Canada...a name to reckon with south of the border."

In September 2005, my gripping action-packed techno-thriller The River was released. This well-researched novel explores the mysterious Nahanni River area, nanotechnology and man's obsession with longevity. The River has been compared to works by Michael Crichton, James Patterson, Dean Koontz and Dan Brown.

I'm also the author of the 2004 "sizzling psychic suspense" Divine Intervention, a 'psi-fi' suspense thriller (or paranormal romance) that has been compared to works by authors such as Iris Johansen, Kay Hooper and Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb's 'In Death' series. Divine Justice, the second in the Divine mystery series, was also released in 2011.

In 2009, I branched off into romance with my debut romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady. Since romance is a different genre from my usual suspense/thrillers and YA, I wrote Lancelot's Lady under the pen name of Cherish D'Angelo. Lancelot's Lady was a semi-finalist in the Dorchester Publishing Next Best Celler contest hosted by Textnovel. It also won an Editor's Choice award from Textnovel in 2010.

A novelette of suspense titled Remote Control was released in ebook edition in July 2010; and a collection of stories titled Skeletons in the Closet & Other Creepy Stories in August 2010.

In 2006, I participated in a hilarious new TV series 'A Total Write-Off', hosted by comedian Barbara North. In 2004, I was nominated for the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award. In 2003, I wrote a public service announcement for a racial harmony campaign. My PSA script, One Voice ~ One World, placed third and was produced and aired on cable channels in Alberta.

I have not only held hundreds of book signings, I have also organized multi-author signings, held virtual book tours and other online events, and I've taught others how to promote their books. My book How I Made Over $42,000 in 1 Month Selling My Kindle eBooks is the #1 Marketing book specifically designed for Amazon's KDP Select program.

I've been interviewed by numerous TV and radio stations in Canada and the US, and I've been featured in a variety of newspapers and magazines in both countries.

I'm also the publisher at Imajin Books, a venture that is dear to my heart. Imajin Books publishes quality international fiction at affordable prices, with a focus on ebooks.

Born in Vancouver, BC, I was a "military brat" and a "military wife" who has lived all across Canada and in Bermuda. I now reside in Edmonton, AB, with my husband Marc and our Pomeranian Princess, Chai.

AGENT information:
Erica Spellman-Silverman
Trident Media Group
41 Madison Avenue, Floor 36
New York, NY 10010

Ph: 212-333-1506

www.tridentmediagroup.com

Cheryl's links:

http://www.cherylktardif.com

http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheryl-Kaye-Tardif-novels/29769736630

http://www.twitter.com/cherylktardif