Yesterday was my anniversary and the hubby and I took off to the coast for some R & R. We had a fabulous day and came home refresh and relaxed. I was so relaxed I forgot to post on the Angel blog.
I jumped out of bed first thing this morning and tried to get my post done but the computer was having a 'snit' fit and wouldn't work with me. I had a test I was scheduled for in town 18 miles away and needed to leave so I couldn't sit and argue with the dratted machine.
I got to my test and found they had free parking for motorcycles directly across the street so I was saved from having to feed a meter during the exam time. When I exited the appointment, getting the worst typing score since I left high school in the dark ages, I got on my bike and rode to a business across town. Upon arriving at the store on the opposite side of town, I discovered, immediately after I turned off my Harley, I'd dropped the key fob along the way. Harleys don't start--at all--without their key.
A phone call to my husband with the enlightening news and I was sitting and waiting [all I could do]for him to come pick me up when a young security officer entered the business and asked me if I'd lost my fob. He was standing there holding it out to me. It was as if the heavens had opened and the angels were singing.
I profusely thanked him, left the business and rode home to park my bike in the garage. I'm currently inside my air conditioned house and realizing there have been more ups to this day than downs.
How was your Friday?
Sable Angel
Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
It's Check In And Share Day at the Angel's blog
How well are you doing?
Had problems this week? That's ok. Just sit down this coming week and write. Whatever you do, don't let difficulties from the week before get in your way this week.
Every word is one word closer to the finished product.
This week was a little bit better than the last one. I wrote about one thousand words. Still hoping to do better. Working on Twelve Days to Love a Christmas novella.
How was your week?
Please feel free to share, seven words, seven sentences or seven paragraphs in the comment section.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Rogue's Angels Present: Of Gods and Madness by Justin D. Herd
Please welcome Justin D. Herd author of Of Gods and Madness
Justin D. Herd will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.
2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?
3. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?
4. What expertise did you bring to your writing?
5. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?
6. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
7. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?
8. Can you give us a sneak peak into this book?
9. Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?
10. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
11. What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)
12. Do you outline your books or just start writing?
13. How do you maintain your creativity?
14. Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?
15. Are your plotting bunnies angels or demons?
16. Anything else you might want to add?
Justin D. Herd will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.
Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful
by Justin D. Herd
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IINTERVIEW:
1. What or
who inspired you to start writing?
While I
don’t know what actually got me hardcore into writing, I can tell you that R.L.
Stine is the person that got me into reading. His Goosebumps series definitely
caught my young mind and in Elementary, I became obsessed, even getting in
trouble for reading them instead of History (I attempted the old book inside
the textbook trick). From there, my parents misguidedly let me read Dean Koontz
instead of Stephen King and I fell further in love with Horror novels. It
wasn’t until my teens that I was finally able to read King’s novels (and even
then I’m not sure I was allowed).
Mel Odom
was also a big force in getting me to understand the technical aspects and
learn how to get a novel out.
2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?
“Raine
Morgan pulled a crushed pack from his jacket, fished out a twisted cigarette. A
match’s flame flickered. He took a drag, stared at the seedy bars from his
niche across the street. Neon flashed through the evening haze, calling the
shuffling drunks out into the dead of night for some faintly promised tail.”
Well, I’m
stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one. Fantasy Noir is a subgenre
of a subgenre, really. What I would say is that it is more about the setting,
the feel of the place, rather than any certain plot points or writing style.
While you could focus on the stoic hero with metaphorical internal dialogue,
that’s not something I’m really interested in. Instead, I’m in love with the
layer of grime, the way the neon lights pour through the mist, the blood
sliding through the hero’s fingers as he fumbles with his gun.
3. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?
Honestly,
this book has gone through so many different jumping off points that I’m not
sure how to answer that.
Originally,
the idea of the novel was about a guy who has chronic migraines. He takes so
many pills that aren’t helping and his girlfriend believes that he’s causing
them with the pills. So, she starts switching out placebos, which causes him to
start seeing demons and crossing over into another world.
I ran into
some difficulties plotting that out, so I got the idea of this society with
multiple living gods, all living in the real world. My main character would
have the migraines, a variation of the original idea, but with a fantasy flair.
There would be a murder, the gods would be involved directly in it, and I’d
have a cop character that was investigating my MC. The problem I ran into there
was something that the first season of True Detective was able to sidestep: how
would a detective not be able to put together that the majority of the people
involved in the case were named after the gods people were worshiping in the
streets.
So, at
least for the initial story, I had to reset the setting to decades later, where
the gods were no longer believed in. They still existed, but the society had
become atheistic, which allowed my cop character to be able to investigate
without looking like a complete idiot. Add to that a mob family that controlled
the city and were the only ones to believe in the gods still . . . you’ve got a
story.
4. What expertise did you bring to your writing?
The only
thing I’ve really brought is my technical proficiency. I’m able to look at a
document and completely reformat it and fix it within a few minutes. I also
have a creative, but logical mind, so when I’m writing, I focus on a goal (like
doing 15k words in a week), then blowing past it to 20k.
5. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?
I’m an open
book, as cliché as that might sound. The biggest thing from my past that still
affects me today is that I had a couple fingers cut off my bully when I was
seven. I’ve adapted and actually type faster than most people I know, but, as a
result of the surgeries and drugs administered, I do not remember much before
Junior High.
6. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
I have
three completed novels that are all in various stages of editing. You can read
more about them on my website, JustinDHerd.net. I think the next one that will
be available will be The Magician.
As for
continuing plans with the Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful story, I have ideas
that could split the story off into a Of Gods and Madness series and a The
Faithful series. I’m currently developing those ideas.
7. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?
It’d
probably have to be Theon, the Trickster god. He’s someone that keeps showing
up in my writing, just for how callous and carefree he is. He will just as soon
cut your throat (or worse) as he would go out on a bender with you. He’s
constantly getting into trouble, but it’s only in this story that he might
actually have to face the consequences of what he’s done.
8. Can you give us a sneak peak into this book?
Of Gods and
Madness: The Faithful is about Raine Morgan, the right hand of the dominant mob
family, and his struggle becoming a new god, even as the old gods return home
and break out into divine civil war once they realize they can die too. There
are several points of view, ranging from an Officer to a streetwise artist to
the gods themselves.
Angry flies attacked the flickering light. The
small bathroom reeked of decay. Offerings from the filthy and unclean coated
the walls. Raine managed to keep himself there through sheer necessity. He had
nowhere else to go.
As the hot water struck
his face, crimson cascaded onto the white basin. His knuckles screamed in
protest, the foul air doing nothing to help the steady burn. He wiped his hands
on his tainted suit, but found his skin still stained. Surely he’d wiped away
all trace of her, but more blood kept appearing.
He looked up, caught a
glimpse of his haggard face. Blood speckled his pores, his shirt, though his
vest appeared untouched. He didn’t dare hazard a look into his eyes. Their
surface burned too bright — too alive — to belong to the man he saw before him.
By Oki, he’d killed her.
His stomach flipped and
the alcohol he had earlier no longer belonged to him. Skull pounding, he fought
tears back. He couldn’t lose it here.
Someone knew what had
happened. Two men in fact.
Jaiden and Turrell.
He couldn’t forget them.
They’d raped that girl. He’d tried to save her. He’d just lost control.
His resolve strengthened.
He had to find them, stop them from spreading lies, tainting his good name.
From telling the truth.
He shook the bitter
thought away. No, he had to make this right.
He scooped up dirty water,
threw it on his face.
In the spinning emptiness
behind his eyelids, he glimpsed something eager lurking on the periphery of his
vision.
When he opened his eyes,
it was waiting.
9. Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?
I am
currently in search of a critique group. I had been a part of one for the
better part of ten years, but we had about a three to four year hiatus where we
became a drinking group that occasionally talked about writing. They worked
with me, chapter by chapter, on Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful, but, at the
end of the day, I had to go with my own gut.
Part of the
issue came with it helps me to have someone else read my stuff out loud, so I
can mark oddities in speech patterns or pauses in the text. Others didn’t find
that helpful. I also have several issues when it comes to editing, where I
believe the text should reveal things about the characters rather than having
me state explicitly that the character doesn’t care what another character is
saying. Our group tended to be brutal in their honesty, which I respect, but it
also meant we had trouble attracting new members.
But, at the
end of the day, I have odd notions and, as I previously mentioned, certain
impossible ideas that I like to try to form into reality. I’ve run into the
same problem with critique groups as I have with development edits: if you
don’t subscribe to the base concept, you’re going to have issues with the
product overall.
10. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
Of Gods and
Madness: The Faithful has been on submission since May 4, 2013. I had been
submitting my first novel, Between the Shadows, for years before that, but I
finally got Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful to a point where I felt confident
in it. I had about a 10% request rate, which is pretty good considering, but
after over 100 rejections, I felt it was time to take it into my own hands.
To be
completely honest, there was more pushing me to not take control, just with
subpar products I’ve seen in the past. However, the many authors at OWFI
(Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.) promoting the current Indie Revolution.
Jerry Simmons had a lot of great things to say about opportunities you can take
as an indie writer that traditional publishing cannot compete with.
But,
overall, I’d say the Authoress (of Miss Snark’s First Victim) has been
instrumental over the years with keeping me in the game. She has always been a
big supporter of writers, even if her site leans more traditional, and has
given me many breaks over the years I’ve been following her blog.
11. What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)
The best
advice is the one that no one believes. It’s simply “Do not edit while writing
your novel.” It’s a great temptation, but the only way you’ll get it out there
is to get words on the page. Now, there’s the occasional typo or you wanting to
add something cool in earlier to set up what you’re currently writing – that’s
fine. But do not get bogged down in hard edits. It’s not worth it and will just
get you second guessing yourself. Unfortunately, I tell every new writer this
and have yet to have anyone listen to me at first.
The worst
advice . . . this is two-fold. One was “Put it off-world.” Long story, but
essentially I was told to put the original concept of this book off-world to
give it a reason to happen, even after I explicitly told the person that I
didn’t want it off-world.
The other
was probably my own telling me to hold off on the story, to make it perfect
before putting it out there. I should’ve released this behemoth three years
ago, but issues with other writers not taking their time caused me to put my
nose to the grindstone and ferret out every issue in the novel. It’s a better
book for it, but I’m not sure the extra time would translate into better sales.
12. Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I tend to
open up a document and do a rough outline of the society I want to put in
there, maybe a magic system or two, then go character by character and write
one or two things about them and their histories with the other characters. For
Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful, the document is 22 pages long. One thing to
note though is that it never holds up to the writing of it. If you read my
original writeup, it’d be unrecognizable. I also have not modified it since
2009.
When I am
writing, I attack the story linearly. Any other attempt causes continuity
issues and leaves me struggling to make sure everything fits in. I keep
descriptions of characters in a separate document to easily be able to jump back
to. If I run into a particular patch where I cannot seem to continue the story,
I will loosely plot out the next three chapters to give myself some direction,
but often the characters will take over and lead me astray.
13. How do you maintain your creativity?
I use art
websites, places like DeviantArt and the late CGHub. I try to save anything
that inspires me while I’m writing, whether it’s the lighting of a particular
piece or the creatures shown by the artist. I save the pieces by original name
and the artist and occasionally feature them on my website so people can see
what I’m going for with the current title.
When I’m
writing, I use Hard Rock to keep me focused (right now I’m listening to
Seether’s Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces). Without music, I’m left searching
for words, stumbling over simple concepts, and generally tripping with any
document. My favorite bands to listen to are Hurt, Slipknot, Nine Inch Nails,
and Karnivool.
14. Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?
With so
many point-of-view characters, I have to love them all in some way or another.
At the end of the day, I think my current favorite is the Shade. He’s an
enigmatic figure that is playing behind the scenes, directly interacting with
only one character and he’s not a POV character – which might make him more fun
to write because he’s a mystery, something that is revealed in contextual clues
rather than explicitly detailed.
15. Are your plotting bunnies angels or demons?
I think
they’re more Nephilim. I tend to spend days agonizing over the next movement of
a certain character, what logically they would do, rather than falling to my
whims. Sometimes they are helpful, but other times they’ll help me realize that
I need to cut out a ten page chunk and add fifty pages in its place.
16. Anything else you might want to add?
I’m
a firm believer in free distribution of ideas. My site itself is under a
Creative Commons license, so you can share my writing as long as you attribute
it to me. I also have a podcast called The Dubious Consumers where my friends
and I talk about everything from novels to mo
BLURB:
The right
hand of the dominant mob family, Raine Morgan is tasked with hunting down two
miscreants messing with the bottom line. He finds them on the docks, but, in
the confusion of the fight, accidentally kills their victim and lets them
escape. Horrified at what he's done, Raine seeks redemption as well as revenge.
Things spiral out of control when a
greedy middleman overthrows Raine's mob organization. It's only with the help
of a friend inside the crumbling mob as well as a streetwise artist that Raine
remains undetected as he searches for the men who started this all. Raine
doesn’t realize, however, he has caught the attention of a disparate conclave
of gods in the process.
As the pantheon returns to the city
they'd abandoned, old conflicts re-emerge, causing divine civil war. Both sides
try to pull Raine to their side, expecting to find a naive god for them to
manipulate. Instead, they find a man stripped of everything, intent on playing
both sides as they learn an awful reality - even gods can die.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Turrell
planted his hand on the table as he leaned in, allowing Raine to fully inspect
every flaw in his wretched face. His features had been rearranged multiple
times and looked all the better for it. His ragged beard helped hide this from
a distance. He smiled, a grin of shattered teeth, and let out a deep breath,
wafting over Raine like broth bubbling from a cauldron. “Take a big whiff.”
Raine
made a big production of inhaling deeply. Not bad actually, a familiar mixture
of hard liquor and tobacco. His breath probably smelled similar at this point
in the night. “You should really go see a doctor, Turrell.”
“Why's
that?”
Raine
drove the glass into Turrell's hand, twisted.
The
room fell silent as his scream hit the air.
Raine
pivoted back, planting his foot on Turrell's chest and shoving with all his
might. Turrell's hand shredded as the glass ripped through the flesh. He hit
the floor.
Jaiden
swung with his left; Raine raised his arm, deflected the blow. He pressed
forward as Jaiden attacked again. Raine ducked under, throwing his whole weight
into Jaiden's body. Jaiden slipped past as Raine toppled over Turrell. A
whimper accompanied the contact as Turrell cradled his hand.
Raine
hit the ground, scrambled to his feet, rebounded off a table. He spun on his
heel, avoided Jaiden's fist, returned with one of his own. It connected with
his jaw. Jaiden crumpled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Justin D. Herd is a Fantasy
Noir author, who has been writing novels for ten years. He absolutely loves
dark, twisted stories that take readers into unexpected places. Horror movies
are his passion and he often takes stories to task for not logically thinking
out their concepts. His home has been invaded by three eccentric cats, one of
which is obssesed with all things digital. He is married with two children.
Website: http://www.justindherd.net/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/realjustindherd
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/justindherd
Patreon: http://bit.ly/1cLVobm
You can buy his books at the
following links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1z2xC51
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1HJhacW
Nook: http://bit.ly/1dH2q1H
iTunes: http://apple.co/1K5I0tg
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1FJIeHf
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zGWboy
Createspace: http://bit.ly/1cf04qv
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Justin D. Herd will be
awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during
the tour, and a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.
RAFFLECOPTER CODE: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1141
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Rogue's Angels Present: Silk & Scars by Cassandra Dean
Please welcome Cassandra Dean author of Silk and Scars.
Cassandra Dean will be awarding an ebook copy of either Silk & Scandal or Silk & Scorn, a signed Silk & Scars postcard and Silk & Scars magnet (International giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
INTERVIEW:
2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?
Well, two people who fall in love in historical times helps! Seriously, though, that’s all that’s required. Two people meet, think the other is awesome, spend some time together, and fall in love. It sounds pretty basic, but I think it IS pretty basic. Putting your own spin on it is what makes your story unique.
Cassandra Dean will be awarding an ebook copy of either Silk & Scandal or Silk & Scorn, a signed Silk & Scars postcard and Silk & Scars magnet (International giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Silk & Scars
by Cassandra Dean
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. What or
who inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always
been a writer. As soon as I could pick up a pen, I wrote, and I’ve been
crafting stories even longer. I don’t think there was any one thing that
inspired me, it’s just who I’ve always been.
2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?
Well, two people who fall in love in historical times helps! Seriously, though, that’s all that’s required. Two people meet, think the other is awesome, spend some time together, and fall in love. It sounds pretty basic, but I think it IS pretty basic. Putting your own spin on it is what makes your story unique.
3. How did
you come up with your idea for your novel?
Two of my favourite tales are Beauty and the Beast and Jane Eyre. So, with those tales in mind, I came up with the idea for SILK & SCARS, about a reclusive duke with an estate in the wilds of Dartmoor and a plain, subdued woman who finds strength and love.
Two of my favourite tales are Beauty and the Beast and Jane Eyre. So, with those tales in mind, I came up with the idea for SILK & SCARS, about a reclusive duke with an estate in the wilds of Dartmoor and a plain, subdued woman who finds strength and love.
4. What
would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?
I really like photography and have eleven cameras. Yeah. It’s a bit of a sickness J
I really like photography and have eleven cameras. Yeah. It’s a bit of a sickness J
5. As far as
your writing goes, what are your future plans?
I would love to write a steampunk/paranormal series and have tentative plans to do so. Watch this space!
I would love to write a steampunk/paranormal series and have tentative plans to do so. Watch this space!
6. Can you
give us a sneak peek into this book?
Sure thing! Here’s an excerpt:
Sure thing! Here’s an excerpt:
Crossing
her arms over her stomach, Gwen leaned forward, pressing deep. Good heavens,
she was nervous, and excited, and nervous. She was going to meet Edward. One
moment soon, he was going to open that door, and she would see him. She would
see the man she’d corresponded with for over a year, to whom she’d expressed
every thought, and who had expressed his to her. It did not matter that he was
a duke, so far above her in consequence as to be laughable. He was her friend,
and, at last, they would meet.
Foot
tapping wildly, she leaned her head back against the wall. This was all so
ridiculous. She was ridiculous to have this unbridled excitement rioting
through her. Exhaling, she caught the stare of the gargoyle. The gargoyle knew
how ridiculous her thoughts. Its stone features laughed at her, and in a fit of
pique, she poked her tongue out.
The study
door opened. Leaping to her feet, she swayed as the blood rushed from her head.
Lord
Beecham appeared in the door way and, his eyes lighting upon her, crooked a
finger. “Miss Parkes. Come.”
Heart
beating a rapid tattoo, she bent to grip the handle of her carpet bag. Lord
Beecham had abandoned the door by the time she had gathered herself enough to
approach, the worn wooden handle of the bag pressing deep into her palm.
Passing through
the doorway, Gwen stopped, her jaw slack as she looked about the chamber. Lit
only by the flame of the massive fireplace dominating one wall and the wan
flicker of a lamp seated on the enormous desk, the room was huge, cavernous
even, and dark. So dark. The faint light picked up rows upon rows of books
while heavy drapes of an unidentifiable fabric covered what she could only
presume were windows. The floor was the same stone as the hall, the only carpet
appearing before the fire under the clawed feet of a large armchair.
Her gaze
returned to the fireplace. A man stood before it, his back to her, right hand
held by his left.
Her heart,
already racing, started a wild thud against her ribs. That was him. The duke.
Edward.
He did not turn, though she willed him to. Willed him to turn so she could utter that most important of phrases, the one she’d longed to say for an age now.
He did not turn, though she willed him to. Willed him to turn so she could utter that most important of phrases, the one she’d longed to say for an age now.
Hello, Edward.
7. When did
you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you
to take this big step?
Once I completed my second published novel, TEACH ME, I started shopping it around. That was an exercise in perseverance, let me tell you! In the meantime, I wrote the short story that became ENSLAVED which was lucky enough to be accepted for publication by Decadent Publishing. The rest is history!
Once I completed my second published novel, TEACH ME, I started shopping it around. That was an exercise in perseverance, let me tell you! In the meantime, I wrote the short story that became ENSLAVED which was lucky enough to be accepted for publication by Decadent Publishing. The rest is history!
I couldn’t
have done it without my critique partner and friend 4 eva, Lucy Clark. Lucy is
a multi-published, award-winning author of Mills & Boon novels and has
encouraged me every step of the way. Thanks, Lucy!
8. Do you
outline your books or just start writing?
I outline a book, start writing, and then chuck the outline out the window! I like to have a plan when I start, but usually it completely changes by the time I’m done.
I outline a book, start writing, and then chuck the outline out the window! I like to have a plan when I start, but usually it completely changes by the time I’m done.
9. How do
you maintain your creativity?
I’m not sure…it’s something I’ve always had! I’m lucky enough to be cursed with too many ideas and not enough time – a good position to be in.
I’m not sure…it’s something I’ve always had! I’m lucky enough to be cursed with too many ideas and not enough time – a good position to be in.
10. Are
your plotting bunnies angels or demons?
Sometimes they’re angels, sometimes they’re demons – depends on their mood!
Sometimes they’re angels, sometimes they’re demons – depends on their mood!
BLURB:
For over a year, Miss Gwendolyn
Parkes and the Duke of Sowrith have corresponded. At first an error, the
letters quickly became something much more, a friendship forged on like minds
and perhaps the hope of something more…
When Gwen is compelled by her
employer to attend the duke at his Dartmoor estate, she is devastated to find
her beloved friend cold and imperious, even if he is the most handsome man
she’s ever seen – despite his scars.
Edward, Duke of Sowrith, has longed
to meet Gwen. Arranging her passage to his estate, he is tongue-tied when
confronted with her quiet beauty. All too aware of the twisted ruin of his
face, he allows fear to hold him silent…until Gwen’s safety is threatened.
Finally together, they grow closer
until it seems they can never again be apart – but can a commoner and a duke
find a happily ever after?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Crossing her arms over her
stomach, Gwen leaned forward, pressing deep. Good heavens, she was nervous, and
excited, and nervous. She was going to meet Edward. One moment soon, he
was going to open that door and she would see him. She would see the man she’d
corresponded with for over a year, to whom she’d expressed every thought, and
who had expressed his to her. It did not matter that he was a duke, so far
above her in consequence as to be laughable. He was her friend, and at last
they would meet.
Foot tapping wildly, she
leaned her head back against the wall. This was all so ridiculous. She was
ridiculous, to have this unbridled excitement rioting through her. Exhaling,
she caught the stare of the gargoyle. The gargoyle knew how ridiculous her
thoughts. Its stone features laughed at her, and in a fit of pique, she poked
her tongue out.
The study door opened.
Leaping to her feet, she swayed as the blood rushed from her head.
Lord Beecham appeared in the
door way and, eyes lighting upon her, he crooked a finger. “Miss Parkes. Come.”
Heart beating a rapid
tattoo, she bent to grip the handle of her carpet bag. Lord Beecham had
abandoned the door by the time she had gathered herself enough to approach, the
worn wooden handle of the bag pressing deep into her palm.
Passing through the door, Gwen
stopped and, jaw slack, she looked about the chamber. The room was huge,
cavernous even, and dark. So dark. Lit only by the flame of the massive
fireplace dominating one wall and the wan flicker of a lamp seated on the
enormous desk, the light picked up rows upon rows of books while heavy drapes
of an unidentifiable fabric covered what she could only presume were windows.
The floor was the same stone as the hall, the only carpet appearing before the
fire under the clawed feet of a large armchair.
Her gaze returned to the
fireplace. A man stood before it, his back to her, right hand held by his left.
Her heart, already racing,
started a wild thud against her ribs. That was him. The duke. Edward.
He did not turn, though she
willed him to. Willed him to turn, so she could utter that most important of
phrases, the one she’d longed to say for an age now.
Hello, Edward.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Cassandra Dean is a best-selling,
multi-published author of historical and fantasy romance. Her latest novel,
SLUMBER, is part of Decadent Publishing’s Beyond Fairytales and features
Cassandra’s take on Sleeping Beauty. Her next novel, SILK & SCARS, is part
of her popular Silk Series, featuring Victorian Era lawyers and their happily
ever after.
Cassandra is proud to call
South Australia her home, where she regularly cheers on her AFL football team
and creates her next tale.
Follow Cassandra on Facebook
at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraDean and on Twitter https://twitter.com/authorcassdean
Social Media Links:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Cassandra Dean will be
awarding an ebook copy of either Silk & Scandal or Silk & Scorn, a
signed Silk & Scars postcard and Silk & Scars magnet (International
giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
RAFFLECOPTER CODE:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1097
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