The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings on Friday - La Contessa and the Marquis

The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings on Friday             

Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56.

Click HERE to connect to other Book Beginnings posts (sponsored by Rose City Reader)

Click HERE to join other Friday 56 bloggers (sponsored by Freda's Voice)

 

 

Book Beginning

Rainer Cross, Marquis of Hathaway, settled his shoulder against a pillar where he’d ensconced himself so he could overlook the ballroom. A warning glare to several want to be rakes was all that was needed to send them scurrying back to their mommas.

With a renewed resolve, to search down one particular individual, his piercing blue eyes studied the throng of ladies. Some too old but searching for a lover, even if for a brief tryst. Others on the hunt for a husband of which he had no interest, at least with them, as he already had his sights set on one person in particular.

 

 

 Pg 56 approx. on Kindle:
 

Now alone, he wondered what to do? Retire to rest or take a walk about the garden while exploring the area around the gazebo? Both offered their advantages and disadvantages but with the second he thought of the possibility of wanting to hold her in his arms, if she were to join him now or later.

He then considered his promise to his godmother and marched out of the sitting room, up the stairs and to his suite. There he was met by a grinning Mike.

 

Amazon Links:

Amazon US- http://tinyurl.com/pyw2lba

Amazon UK- http://tinyurl.com/nhp3oph

Amazon CA- http://tinyurl.com/kwf494z

Amazon AU- http://tinyurl.com/q6ssryz

Amazon DE- http://tinyurl.com/pcmhkgm

Amazon FR- http://tinyurl.com/ms85q3a

Amazon BR- http://tinyurl.com/m8849d6

Amazon IT- http://tinyurl.com/jwy7524

Amazon MX- http://tinyurl.com/lwqv3c9

Amazon NL- http://tinyurl.com/msfmqj2

Amazon ES- http://tinyurl.com/mch56nh

Amazon IN- http://tinyurl.com/m4bqqfu

Genre: Regency Romance

 

Length: 97 pages

 

Snippet Sunday 23-03-14

This week's snippet is from my first Regency novel,

No Job For a Woman

(now available online for the special price of $2.99)

“If we all turn up and start asking questions, it would get back to the Graingers. They may assume we know about their latest threat, but equally, they can’t be certain.”

Husband and wife waited when Julian paused.

“On consideration let me go alone tomorrow. I’ll tell Deborah you’ve invited her to spend next weekend with you, Henri, and if Brandon hears of the invitation, there’s little he can make of it.”

“Why would you go, and not me?”

“Because you want to spend time alone with your wife before Clara returns from visiting her aunt in Leicestershire. And—,” he added, “I think Deborah may not be so resistant if the information and conclusions we have reached come from me rather than you.”

 

No Job For a Woman is available from:-

 Amazon UK    Barnes & Noble,    Smashwords    iTunes Amazon

 

Thanks for coming by :-) 

You'll find a lot more gifted authors at SNIPPET SUNDAY

 

Tuesdays Tales 11-03-14 ~ End

Welcome to Tuesday's Tales  

I'm sorry but this is another isolated snippet this week, taken from my Regency wip started back in 2012.

 

It is 1812 and Consuela remained in London when her affianced, Juan, has returned to the war in Spain. She may not be sure of the stranger who is flirting with her but admits to herself she is charmed by him.

How could someone she didn’t know fascinate and repel at the same time? She turned away to watch their graces dancing together, and hid a smile behind her hand at the outraged whispers around her.  Jealous old tabbies, she thought. Just because they were trapped in uncongenial, she liked the new word her grace taught her that morning, uncongenial marriages, they didn’t like to see the Duke dancing with his Duchess not caring who saw how much in love they were still, after nearly three decades.

“Unusual.” The sound of the deep voice penetrated her musings and reluctantly she refocused her attention.

Yes beneath the veneer something dark lurked in the man’s eyes. A tremor of foreboding skittered up her spine. “It is a pity we cannot dance together.  Do you like to dance?”

“I’m not a good dancer.”  Consuela admitted through clenched teeth and wished for the music to end and their grace to join her once more.

“I find that hard to believe.  A beautiful woman like you, I thought all the ladies learned to dance.”  He swept an arc in the direction of the floor, crammed with couples.”No?”

“I believe the English teach their daughters the dance at an early age, but I, as I am sure you have realised, am not English.”

While the man inclined his head, Consuela noted his smile failed to reach his eyes.

 

 

Thank you for reading this week's offering, 

there are lots more amazing reads at  

Tuesday's Tales  

 

 

Sunday Snipet ~ 09-03-14

This week's snippet is from my first Regency novel,

No Job For a Woman

(now available online for the special price of $2.99)

 

“What has happened to create the fear, are you saying the Grangers are intimidating Deborah’s estate manager, too? How could they? I mean, if they can do it now, why haven’t they tried it before?”

“I can’t remember where or when,” Henrietta intervened, “but I’m sure I heard Mrs. Granger’s took Brandon’s daughter on as her dresser a few months ago.”

“I wonder—” Julian looked up at Freddie, “how can we discover whether there’s been any contact between the Grangers and Brandon during your sister’s visit here?”

Unable to keep the tremble from her voice, Henrietta expressed her own fear. “Are you thinking they’re using the girl as some kind of hostage to force Brandon to do their bidding?”

 

No Job For a Woman is available from:-

 Amazon UK    Barnes & Noble,    Smashwords    iTunes Amazon

 

Thanks for coming by :-) 

You'll find a lot more gifted authors at SNIPPET SUNDAY

Tuesday's Tales 16 July

Welcome to Tuesday's Tales

A place where books are born.

Thank you for stopping by. This week's word prompt is court, my snippet is from Consuela's story, my sequel to Vidal's Honor. This scene takes place in England in 1813 when my hero, Juan, learns his brother has Consuela in his sights.

 

While he’d rushed back to Spain, his brother, Diago, had made his way to London, and according to his friend Lord Vidal, was even now attempting to court Consuela.

 

The only available room left in the inn was tiny, with a window locked down tight against the night air, so the room smelled of stale ale and other unmentionable odours. He smote one fist in the other and strode from the edge of the bed where he’d sat to the window and peered out.

“You been and gone and missed it by five minutes.” The innkeeper told him when he’d rushed in to enquire when the next coach left for London.  “Won’t be another ‘afore tomorrow afternoon.”

His enquiries into hiring a coach hadn’t fared any better.  It seemed there was a prize cock fight in the village just five miles down the road and every available vehicle for hire was already spoken for. Assuming there’d be no spare horses for hire either he’d not even asked, but now as he watched the shadows shift across the ground below his window he wondered whether the plan forming in his mind would land him in prison if he was caught.

‘Another day won’t make a difference.’ A silent voice in his head urged, but instinct told Juan the voice lied.  If he didn’t know better he could almost swear he heard Consuela calling out to him for help.

 

Thank you for reading this week's offering, and please hop on over to read everyone's offering for this week's Tuesday's Tales prompt.

Tuesday Tales - 2nd July

Welcome to Tuesday's Tales

A place where books are born.

 

Thank you for stopping by. This week's word prompt is sun, my snippet continues on from last week's offering in Consuela's story, my sequel to Vidal's Honor.

Memories of the horrific scene they’d come across in the woods still haunted her dreams.  The women and children, their sightless eyes staring up at the brilliant sun-lit sky… Piled in a heap like broken dolls.  “Do not ask me to share it with you, my lady, for it is not…” The understanding in her hostess’s eyes slammed into her like a musket from one of the guerrilleros guns.

“You know?”

The duchess nodded, leaned across to the nearest bell-pull and summoned a servant.  “Tea, and cake,” she ordered when the butler entered after a brief knock.  “I heard Charles telling his father one day and had the whole story from him.  I am so sorry, my dear.  No one should see such depravation, let alone become victims of it.”

Consuela still could not remember how the duchess had persuaded her to reveal the circumstances of her own widowhood, and now as the other woman patted her hand Consuela swallowed the comment she intended to make when the door opened and a maid entered and crossed the room to place a laden tray on the table beside the duchess.

She looked at the ring on her finger. Not the one her husband had given her, that she’d thrown away as soon as Juan proposed and slipped the large sapphire ring in its place.  No amount of urging on her part would persuade Juan to make her his wife before he left.  Sometimes she hated him for that reluctance, even though she understood his concerns.

“If my brother finds out we are married he will make it his mission of eliminate you as he did my wife and daughter. No, my dear, you are safer if you remain single.  In all honesty I should have resisted the urge to declare myself, and as for this ring…” He’d paced round the room before coming to sit beside her, in this very room days after they’d celebrated the New Year.  “Perhaps it would be best if you did not wear it in public.”

 

Thank you for reading this week's offering, and please hop on over to read everyone's offering for this week's Tuesday's Tales prompt. 

Hearts Through History Hop 10th - 16th

 

Welcome to the Hearts through History Hop. 

 

This is probably the oldest surviving Valentine's letter in the English language. It was written by Margery Brews to her fiancé John Paston in February 1477. Describing John as her 'right well-beloved valentine', she tells him she is 'not in good health of body nor of heart, nor shall I be till I hear from you.' She explains that her mother had tried to persuade her father to increase her dowry - so far unsuccessfully. However, she says, if John loves her he will marry her anyway: 'But if you love me, as I trust verily that you do, you will not leave me therefore.' There was a happy ending to the story, as the couple would eventually marry.

The letter comes from one of the largest collections of 15th century English private correspondence, known as the Paston letters. The collection offers a unique glimpse in to the personal lives of the Paston family from Norfolk - the family name comes from a Norfolk village about twenty miles north of Norwich. The Pastons had risen from peasantry to aristocracy in just a few generations: the first member of the family about whom anything is known was Clement Paston (d. 1419), a peasant, who gave an excellent education to his son William, enabling him to study law. John and Margery's son, William, would become a prominent figure at the court of King Henry VIII.

While my Regency romance, Vidal's Honor, is not set in Norfolk, its opening scene is based on historical fact.

 

The Battle of Salamanca -part of the then Earl of Wellington's (later to become the famous Duke of Wellington) Peninsula campaign, took place in Spain in July 1812, and while my historical heart throb, Charles Vidal is not present in the first scene, he is definitely one of the strong silent and detirmined heros of the time.

For him it is a 2nd chance to win the love of his life.  But circumstances are against him.

Betrayal, espionage, and mistrust abound and it hard for him to know who his eneies are.  Could it be possible that the only woman he's loved betrayed his best friend?

He soon discovers his attempt to maintain a discreet distance from Honor, Lady Beamont, is drawing unwanted attention from another enemy...

 “You will draw more attention if you continue to ignore Lady Beaumont than you would if you occasionally conversed with her. I see the duke watching you very carefully.”

“He’s been watching all of us.”

“Indeed,” Juan agreed, and laid a hand on Vidal’s sleeve, “but now it is more calculating. He notices how you avoid Honor, and I’d wager is conniving how he can turn this to his advantage. If you do not take care you will arrive home to find yourself accused of plotting her husband’s death so you can marry her.”

It made a macabre kind of sense, Vidal acknowledged. He’d avoided Honor to prevent the very conclusions Juan predicted.

“In my endeavour to prevent that, it seems I have leaned too far the other way.”Available from:-
 Amazon.com  http://tinyurl.com/bpu7o75 ($o.99c)

Amazon.co.uk  http://tinyurl.com/cgonnnk (£0.49p)

smashworlds  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/250882

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vidals-honor/1113726614?ean=2940015900422

Book Strand  http://www.bookstrand.com/vidals-honor

Kobo  http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Vidals-Honor/book-pGNWcYHNukSsEwGrXE4TnA/page1.html?s=_AyuW9PrgUe6i8iafiHdSw&r=9  

All Romance https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-vidal039shonor-987501-152.html

 

GIVEAWAY:-

Just answer the following question for one luck commenter to win a  pdf copy of Vidal's Honor. (Don't forget to include your email address to be in with a chance.)

The winner will be announced before the 20th Feb.

 

Who is your favourite historical hearthrob and why?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 List of Links to include at the end of each post:-

Hop Participants

1. Random Bits of Fascination (Maria Grace)
2. Pillings Writing Corner (David Pilling)
3. Sally Smith O’Rourke
4. Darcyholic Diversions (Barbara Tiller Cole)
5. Faith, Hope and Cherry Tea
6. Rosanne Lortz
7. Sharon Lathan
8. Debra Brown
9. Heyerwood (Lauren Gilbert)
10. Regina Jeffers
11. Ginger Myrick
12. Anna Belfrage
13. Fall in love with history (Grace Elliot)
14. Nancy Bilyeau
15. Wendy Dunn
16. E.M. Powell
17. Georgie Lee
18. The Riddle of Writing (Deborah Swift)
19. Outtakes from a Historical Novelist (Kim Rendfeld)
20. The heart of romance (Sherry Gloag)
21. A day in the life of patootie (Lori Crane)
22. Karen Aminadra
23. Dunhaven Place (Heidi Ashworth)
24. Stephanie Renee dos Santos

or return to http://authormariagrace.com/2013/02/09/hearts-through-history-blog-hop/ 

The Big Thing Blog Hop

Thanks to Carol Bond for inviting me to participate in The Big Thing Blog Hop

https://www.theunseenpromise.com
http://www.facebook.com/TheUnseenPromise?ref=hl
https://www.theunseenpromise.com
https://twitter.com/chocolategirl61
http://theunseenpromise.blogspot.com.au/
http://www.booksie.com/chocolategirl46

And here are my answers to Blog hop questions.

What is the name of the book? 

No Job For a Woman

Where did the idea for the book derive?

A single word.  Forfeit.

What genre does your book fall under?

 Regency Romance

What is the one sentence synopsis for your book? Will Deborah live long enough to discover that by releasing everything she values, she will gain everything her heart desires?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an Agency?

No Job For a Woman is published by Sweet Cravings Publishings.

How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Several months.

What other books would you compare this story to – in your genre?

 I am in awe of Regency writer, Georgette Heyer, and would love to think No Job For a Woman would compare with hers.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
No Job For a Woman is character driven and they demanded I told their story. J

What about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
In Regency times a woman of the ton would be shunned if they discovered she worked for her living. When Deborah Stavely takes over the running her late husband’s estates she has no idea of the consequences of her actions.

 

No Job For a Woman is available at

Amazon             UK             SCP

 

 

Where am I?

And the Winners are ====
Angie Adair
$10.00 worth of your choice of Secret/Sweet Cravings Books

2nd Prize goes to ===Eva Flowers
A pdf copy of No Job For a Woman

3rd Prize goes to ==
Mel Bourn
A handcrafted Selenite Pendant


4th & 5th Prizes go to =Katherine F White &
Flossie Benton Rogers.
Both winners will each receive a handcrafted book thong.

 

8th October 10am BST
The competition is nowclosed and the winners will be announced after 1pm

To be in with a chance to win some spectacular prizes in this amazing Secret Cravings Publishing Blog Hop all  you have to do is answer the questions correctly that a bunch of  Secret Cravings Publishing authors have set out on their own author blogs.
You'll find a list of participating authors at the Secret Cravings Publishing blog. Please remember to include your email address with your answers.

http://secretcravingspublishing.blogspot.com

but before you hop over there please browse down for a chance to win one of my four prizes on offer

Thank you and enjoy :-)

Study the clues below about where I live,

Comment with your answers to the questions

(don't forget to include your email address)

and you'll be in with a chance to win a copy of my Regency Romance,

No Job For a Woman

and other prizes..

The British queen spends every Cristmas holiday here. 

What is the name of this, her personal holiday home?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

 

A large area of this English county is famous for its Broads. 

 

What are they, and how did they come about, and who uses them now?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

 

The cathedral in the county's major city has the second tallest spire in Britain

 

Which British cathedral has the tallest spire, and what is the difference in height?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

This is the only English county  where part of its coastline faces west, therfore offering some spectacular sunsets. 



Where am I?

 

Don't forget to leave a comment, including your email address,

for a chance to win a prize.

 

 

Here is

 a short excerpt from

No Job for a Woman.

Blurb:

Julian Fanshaw answers a call for help from his life-long friend Lord Worth to help keep his friend’s widowed sister, Deborah, safe from her increasingly vindictive neighbours. It doesn’t take long to realise him or Freddie long to realise the Grangers aren’t using her as a long-promised act of revenge against them; but are playing a deeper and far more sinister game of their own.

Deborah Stavely is determined to overcome the increasing harassment from her neighbour without calling on her brother for help. So she is not pleased when Freddie intervenes and involves his friend, Julian Fanshaw.

Circumstances demand Julian and Deborah learn to work together and Julian dares to dream that he might gain the love of the only person he’s ever given his heart to.

But will Deborah live long enough to discover that by releasing everything she values, she will gain everything her heart desires?

Excerpt:

Julian Fanshaw ignored the other letters in front of him when he recognized one from his long-time friend Freddie Dalrymple, now Lord Worth. He broke the seal and scanned the single sheet with growing concern.

Julian, my friend, I am writing to implore you to put aside whatever plans you have in hand and to set out immediately to stay with us for an indeterminate period of time.

Thoroughly alarmed, Julian flipped the page in his hand to discover it had been dispatched more than a week ago.

If I bring to mind a certain student up at Oxford with us, and reveal that he and his wife are, and have been, my sister’s neighbors for several years, it will give you but an inkling of the root of my concern.

It has come to my attention, due to the arrival of his brother upon the scene, and recent events concerning my sister, Deborah, I am persuaded you need not only to know what is happening here, but be on hand to assist in circumventing any consequences of actions taken against her.

I have taken the liberty of gathering some friends together for a couple of shooting parties, thereby creating a reason for your presence.

Since his return from the Peninsular, Julian kept promising himself a trip to Worth’s Norfolk estate. Unfortunately in the last eighteen months, time and circumstances had worked against him.

Casting the letter aside, Julian strode to the door and called for his butler.

“I am leaving immediately for Norfolk. Please see that my bags are packed and have my horse ready within the hour.”

“You do not intend to use your chaise, sir?”

“No. I’ll ride, with a stop to visit Mr. Sewel. Arrange for Becket and French to follow me in the chaise with everything I’ll need for a month.”

Not by so much as a flick of an eyelid did Thomas reveal he recognized the name of his master’s man of business.

“Very good, sir.”

My Prize Details...

First Prize = $10.00 worth of Secret or Sweet Cravings Publishing books of your choice

 

Second Prize = A pdf copy of No Job For a Woman

 

Third Prize =   A Selenite Crystal Pendant, handcrafted to order

 

Forth & Fifth Prizes = One handcrafted book thong

 

all winners will be chosen using Random.org 

And now...

for a chance to win lots more prizes hop over to

http://secretcravingspublishing.blogspot.com

to discover where lots more

Secret and Sweet Cravings Publishings authors can be found.