All Things Returned Blog Tour

I'm taking the latest installment of  Anton and Lenora on tour!The lovely Krista Ames at Bridging the Gap has extended the tour, so there'll be lots of opportunities to join me at some of the stops along the way for fun and prizes.

April 14-25

 14  Melissa Keir 

 15  A Passion for Romance

 16  Fiction Witches  

 17  Mary's Cup of Tea  

 18  Harlie's Books  

 18  Roast and Toast party

 19  Gemini Girls
 20  Brooke Blogs 

 21  Romancing the Pen Today
 21  Margo Bond Collins  

 22  Room with Books 

 23  Reviews by Crystal
 24  London Scribbles
 25  Fall into Reading Reviews 

#SneakPeekSunday--All Things Returned releases tomorrow

It's nearly here! Tomorrow is the day All Things Returned, part three of the Anton and Lenora historical series, comes out to meet the world.
I hope you'll enjoy it and it's companions, Sweet Lenora and To the Wind.

Meantime, here's a sneak preview of the beginning of the story--

Anton pulled off his cravat for the second time. “Foolish speck of clothing—like to choke the life out of a man.”

He fumbled with it until I took the scrap of silk and tied it around his neck, sealing my action with a kiss. “You should try wearing a corset.”

“I think we should pull off all of these confounded garments and run about like babes in Eden,” he said, nuzzling my neck.

I dearly would have liked to take his suggestion. “We have to attend. For our own sakes and for Edward’s.”

For a more extensive peak, please Click Here

There's more on All Things Returned Here

And more on Anton and Lenora Here

#SneakPeekSunday All Things Returned

I'm getting excited about the release of All Things Returned, the third novella of my historical romance series.  The book will be out on April 7th. Meantime, here's a little snippet-

Lenora Bourdreaux is happily married to clipper ship captain Anton Bourdreux. But trouble comes while Anton is away and Lenora gets a visit from her past in the form of another young sea captain, Jacob Lowell.

I felt little need to defend myself further and put the print down on the table. “Please leave.”

Jacob came up behind me, pinning me between his body and the table. “Is that any way to treat an old friend, Lenora?” At close range, his breath smelled of whiskey. Still, he was someone I had known since childhood. I thought perhaps I could count on him to act as though we were, indeed, old friends.

“Why are you here, Jacob?”

He took my hair between his fingers. “Sweet girl, I have often thought of you. The softness of your lips and your sweet young body--wasted on a scoundrel.”

For more on All Things Returned, please visit to the ATR web page

For more snippets and sneak peaks, visit
#SneakPeekSunday and #SPeekSunday on Twitter
The Sneak Peek Sunday blog
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Five Stars for To the Wind!

To the Wind received a five star rating from Reader's Favorite!

"As in the first novel, Sweet Lenora (Dark Heroes), Ute Carbone captures the reader's interest immediately with an adventurous, emotional tale of a sailor's life on the sea as they follow orders from bosses within the trade business of the California gold rush era. It also tells of incredible love, heartfelt compassion, and the pure admiration a young couple can have for one another. Ute Carbone's To the Wind has a bit of everything in it, making it appealing to many types of readers. It is a short story written so skillfully and descriptively it is as though you are watching a movie screen rather than reading a book." Michelle Robertson for Reader's Favorite Reviews

Read the entire Review HERE

To the Wind The Journey Continues In this sequel to Sweet Lenora, Anton and Lenora sail away from trouble in Rio de Janeiro only to encounter new problems. With only half a crew and a first mate that is hated and feared, they venture to San Francisco plagued by threats, mutiny,and illness. As they arrive at their destination, the ghosts of the past come back to haunt them and may prove to be the greatest menace of all. At each turn, the love they have forged is tested. Will it prevail?    Available at: Amazon Champagne Books Kobo Read more about the book on the To the Wind site To the Wind has been nominated for a RONE as best historical novella. Reader voting is in a few weeks Meantime, Reader voting for Afterglow, in the best contemporary (general) category is going on all this week. You can vote HERE

Cover Reveal! All Things Returned

Cover artist Petra Kay has done it again. I'm still sighing happily with this, the cover for All Things Returned, the third part of Anton and Lenora, which is coming out on April 7. The cover sums up the relationship of Anton and Lenora, and the clipper ships are perfect.

All Things Returned

San Francisco

Anton and Lenora Boudreaux have settled into an idyllic cottage overlooking San Francisco Bay. They’ve left trouble behind them and found happily ever after—family, friends, and a business that has every expectation of being successful. Until the Willow sails into port.

The captain of Willow, Jacob Lowell, is privy to secrets that threaten Lenora’s reputation and Anton’s life. When Anton sails to Seattle on a business enterprise, Jacob tries to blackmail Lenora, threatening to expose all he knows and forcing her to make decisions that will test her love of Anton and her life with him.

All Things Returned is the third book in the Anton and Lenora historical novella series. 

#Write-A-Thin First Week Update

Last week, I blogged about joining in the Women Fiction Writer's Association Write-A-Thin, a month long write-and-edit- a- thon where each writer sets a single goal. My goal is to finish a draft of Willow, the fourth novella of the Anton and Lenora series. A lofty goal, and if I get a good chunk of it done I'll be content.
In the interest of keeping myself on track, I plan on posting weekly updates of my Write-A-Thin progress.
I've had a pretty good week. It's been cold and I'm still eating Christmas Cookies--which is great for a sugar high! I've got lots else to do, playing catch-up after the holidays, so I'm pleased to have 4,000 words  on Willow. At novella length, I'm aiming for 20-30 K when it's finished. The content will determine the length.
In Willow, Anton and Lenora sail to Shanghai. Here's a snippet of what I've written this week--Still new and uncut, from the opening scene of Willow:

One look at Lenora’s countenance on that bright lit morn let me know I had made the right decision. We stood in the garden of our little cottage and though we were far from the goings on at the square, Lenora’s skin was pale as milk and I wondered if the ordeal—both the memory of what had happened and what was about to transpire-- made her ill.

“You should not trouble yourself so.” I took her by the hand and hoped she could feel the sincerity of my words.

“I wish there were some other way to bring him to justice.” She looked out over the bay. The view had always brought solace to my heart and I hoped it would do the same for her. She was a daughter of the sea, the daughter of a ship builder. We held a love of the sea in common, Lenora and I.

“We will sail away soon.” I kissed her fingers and she put an arm around my waist. “We will put this misfortune behind us.”

Saturday#Snippets To the Wind

The To the Wind blog tour finished up yesterday, but I wanted to give everyone one more look. Will they burn the Sweet Lenora? Anton worries they will.

My head and my heart had been filled with Lenora, yet I knew well how the disease had ravaged the crew. They were a rough lot, true, but no one deserved to die at the hands of such devilment as the yellow jack. “I know how bad things were aboard.” I cast my eyes to the door behind which Lenora slept.

“Then you must be aware such disease can linger. You suspect Rio, so you told me yourself, as the origin of your misery. Look how far you have carried the miasma. The ship is contaminated.”

“If it can but be saved. I’ve heard they use carbolic and lime. I would scrub down every inch of her if she could be spared burning. She is new, it is her maiden voyage, and we’ve yet to take her to the Orient. She would have broken the record from New England to SanFrancisco if not for foul weather off the Brazil coast. How I wish we’d never stopped in Rio port, yet we had no choice. We came from that port with but half a crew and still made ’Frisco in two months time. Two months, sir. It is a testament to the ship’s fine build and to her value.”

“There will be other ships,” was all Mather had to answer to my plea.

“Nay,” I said. “Her maker has died. There may never be another like her.” With that, I took my leave and went back into the room where my Lenora slept.

Click below for more on-

To the Wind

The Anton and Lenora Series

Saturday #Snippets To the Wind

I'm in the midst of the To the Wind blog tour.  Anton and Lenora have several more stops along the cyber road between now and January third.
Here at home, I'm posting another snippet from the book. In this excerpt, Lenora worries about Cyrus Abercrombie, who will prove troublesome before the journey is over.

“Mr. Abercrombie still troubles me,” Lenora said one eve as we were off the coast of Peru. “The crew is rumbling. It is not pretty what they say.” She sat upon the berth and ran a brush through her hair.

I took the brush from her and attended to the task, happy to touch her silky waves. “The crew’s  rumblings are never pretty, mon  amie. You must away from them.”

“I don’t seek them out, Anton. But it is hard not to hear their complaints in a society small as the one aboard this ship. Maurice told me Abercrombie whipped Tageo.”

I did not hold with whipping, but it was common enough practice. I would be hard pressed to sanction Abercrombie for use of the lash as a means of discipline. “Tageo is a scoundrel. The men say he has been stealing water. You can understand how serious is such an offense.”

“Yes, but—”

I held my fingers to her lips. “I have heard the grumblings, Lenora. I will speak to Abercrombie.” I understood her distaste. I had seen the lash cut down too many good men, both aboard ship and in New Orleans, to embrace its use. And I feared Abercrombie had an appetite for whippings far beyond what might be considered common practice. It troubled me considerably more than I let on to Lenora. Abercrombie knew well I needed him. He gave me his respect only because I was his superior and he feared I might yet throw him into the sea.

 

Mr. Abercrombie still troubles me,” Lenora said one eve as we were off the coast of Peru. “The crew is rumbling. It is not pretty what they say.” She sat upon the berth and ran a brush through her hair.

I took the brush from her and attended to the task, happy to touch her silky waves. “The crew’s  rumblings are never pretty, mon  amie. You must away from them.”

“I don’t seek them out, Anton. But it is hard not to hear their complaints in a society small as the one aboard this ship. Maurice told me Abercrombie whipped Tageo.”

I did not hold with whipping, but it was common enough practice. I would be hard pressed to sanction Abercrombie for use of the lash as a means of discipline. “Tageo is a scoundrel. The men say he has been stealing water. You can understand how serious is such an offense.”

“Yes, but—”

I held my fingers to her lips. “I have heard the grumblings, Lenora. I will speak to Abercrombie.” I understood her distaste. I had seen the lash cut down too many good men, both aboard ship and in New Orleans, to embrace its use. And I feared Abercrombie had an appetite for whippings far beyond what might be considered common practice. It troubled me considerably more than I let on to Lenora. Abercrombie knew well I needed him. He gave me his respect only because I was his superior and he feared I might yet throw him into the sea.

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Mr. Abercrombie still troubles me,” Lenora said one eve as we were off the coast of Peru. “The crew is rumbling. It is not pretty what they say.” She sat upon the berth and ran a brush through her hair.

I took the brush from her and attended to the task, happy to touch her silky waves. “The crew’s  rumblings are never pretty, mon  amie. You must away from them.”

“I don’t seek them out, Anton. But it is hard not to hear their complaints in a society small as the one aboard this ship. Maurice told me Abercrombie whipped Tageo.”

I did not hold with whipping, but it was common enough practice. I would be hard pressed to sanction Abercrombie for use of the lash as a means of discipline. “Tageo is a scoundrel. The men say he has been stealing water. You can understand how serious is such an offense.”

“Yes, but—”

I held my fingers to her lips. “I have heard the grumblings, Lenora. I will speak to Abercrombie.” I understood her distaste. I had seen the lash cut down too many good men, both aboard ship and in New Orleans, to embrace its use. And I feared Abercrombie had an appetite for whippings far beyond what might be considered common practice. It troubled me considerably more than I let on to Lenora. Abercrombie knew well I needed him. He gave me his respect only because I was his superior and he feared I might yet throw him into the sea.

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