Archive for September, 2010

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Romantic Suspense Go-To Girl

Tara Stevens | September 30th, 2010

Can you spot a killer a mile away? I can. Well, in romantic suspense books, that is. Much to my surprise (and delight!), I am becoming quite the romantic suspense connoisseur. I honestly never thought the white-knuckle tension and hot sex combo would appeal to me quite as much as it does, but somehow it just turned out that way.

In my head I like to call myself the Romantic Suspense Go-To Girl of the Carina Press acquisitions team. I knew my new role had become official (even if just subconsciously) when we had a meeting recently and a bunch of heads swiveled in my direction when Angela asked who wanted to read the romantic suspense manuscript on offer that week. Guess it’s me!

Even though my exposure to what Susan Andersen affectionately calls the “awkward, bastard step-child genre” has been limited at best, I guess what it boils down to is that I crave the action, thrill and intrigue that unfolds in romantic suspense alongside the relationship. I also enjoy the deeper character development. Since the plot doesn’t completely hinge on when/where/how the protagonists will get it on, there’s more room to explore character motivations and inner thoughts.

The page-turning aspect of romantic suspense is another definite plus. There’s nothing worse than being excited to start a new book and then feeling like you’d rather clean the floor than flip the page. (Yes, this has happened to me, although usually when I’m PMS-ing.) The nature of romantic suspense books means that I devour these stories much quicker than I expect to. Is this because I’m impatient to find out whether I’ve pegged the right perp or not? Yes, partly. Gloating is good, even if only in my own mind.

Romantic suspense is becoming more and more popular because it has a rather distinct and obvious advantage: it appeals to both romance and mystery fans. For me, the trick for any author attempting this genre is to find the right balance between the two – so that the love story doesn’t distract from the suspense, and the suspense doesn’t overpower the budding relationship.

The recipe is easy, actually: a strong, meaty plot with a bit of mystery I can sink my teeth into, topped off with some smokin’ sex and a heroine who’s feisty and independent as all get-out. Love doesn’t have to completely save the day, either, but there should be a sense of good winning out over evil (or something less fire-and-brimstone sounding).

Several of our fabulous Carina Press books fit this bill, including some I read early on, like Overnight and On Her Trail. It should come as no surprise that my to-be-read pile includes several more: Criminal Instinct, Sea of Suspicion and Desperate Choices. What do you enjoy most about romantic suspense? The marvelous meshing of mystery and love, or something else entirely?

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Posted in Behind the Scenes, Books, Carina Press | 14 Comments »

An Excerpt From Desperate Choices

Kathy_Ivan | September 29th, 2010

DC #2

A good friend once told me—write what you love and love what you write.  I firmly believe that.  Unless you love your story and the words you have written, how can you expect the reader to love it?  I sometimes forget that’s my job as a storyteller.  It’s the reason I love to write.  I want to tell people a story with a compelling beginning, middle, and an emotionally satisfying ending they will remember and think about after they have “put down the book.”

I hope that’s what I have done with Desperate Choices.  Below is a brief excerpt from the story.

EXCERPT

Even though it was late afternoon, in her mind’s eye it was twilight. The dusky time between day and night where everything fades to shades of gray, black and white. She extended her extrasensory flow, hearing nothing except the normal sounds of nature. Crickets chirped, mosquitoes buzzed, an occasional bird lifted in flight. The normal sounds of a Louisiana evening.

Things began coalescing into definition. She stood alongside a motorbike. The motor wasn’t running.

She let her psychic senses run free. In the distance, she heard an engine. Its growl grew louder as it approached. A vehicle pulled to the side of the road a short distance ahead of where she stood beside the bike.

“Theresa,” Max interrupted. Never opening her eyes, she raised her finger to her mouth, motioning for quiet.

She concentrated on the vehicle, but as hard as she tried, it wouldn’t come into a clear image. She could only determine it was a light color and large. Focus, she whispered in her mind. Go deeper. Bring it into focus.

A sudden jolt broke her concentration. Her neck snapped back, jarring her from the vision and back into reality. Theresa stared up at Max’s face inches from hers, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath. His grasp on her shoulders felt firm yet insistent.

“Theresa.” A hint of anxiety filled Max’s normally placid voice. “Theresa. Snap out of it.”

“What’s wrong, Max?”

“What’s wrong? You were standing there, barely breathing, shaking like a leaf, and you ask me ‘What’s wrong?’” Max’s hold on her eased and she watched him run a hand across his eyes. “What the hell just happened?”

The vision vanished, faded away like mist evaporating. Nothing left but the daylight surrounding her and Max. She handed him the phone and managed to stagger a couple of steps, resting her hip against the hood of the car.

Her body trembled, exhaustion enveloping her like a heavy cloak. This was one of the reasons she hated this kind of reading. It wiped her out, leaving her emotionally and physically drained.

“There’s not a lot I can tell you, Max. I saw the bike at the side of the road. Right there.” She pointed. “It wasn’t running. I couldn’t tell why not. I didn’t get the impression there was anything mechanically wrong, but…”

She took a few steps away from the car and glanced toward the woods. They were dense, thick and mysterious, yet no sense of danger emanated from them. Sunlight poured through the few leaves, wiping away all trace of the twilight hues from her vision.

“Another vehicle pulled over there.” She gestured toward the road again, indicating an area about twenty feet beyond where his car was parked. “It was large, light in color. Maybe white or a light yellow or tan, I couldn’t tell. It stopped. I sensed a brief moment of fear, but just as quickly it was gone. Tommy felt relief. He didn’t seem afraid. He seemed thankful, maybe even happy.”

Theresa looked up into Max’s eyes for the first time since the vision ended and met his gray-eyed gaze.

“Max, whoever took Tommy wasn’t a stranger. It was somebody he knew.”

Copyright 2010 Kathy Ivan

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A.

Posted in Authors, Books, Excerpt | 5 Comments »

Desperate Choices–and the choices I made

Kathy_Ivan | September 29th, 2010

DC #2

My romantic suspense with paranormal elements, Desperate Choices, is out with Carina Press.  This book was a labor of love.  When I first decided to try to write a book and started plotting out a story arc, the first character to pop into my head was a police officer in New Orleans named Remy Lamoreaux.  Remy had an older brother, Max, a former cop, now a private investigator.

The more I wrote, outlining Remy’s story, the more it evolved and changed.  Max pushed his way front and center and basically took over the whole shebang.  I had a choice to make—did I continue writing Remy’s story, the one I had started with, or did I face facts and let Max have his way.  My choice, go with my gut and give Max his story first.

Once I had made that choice, the story flowed much easier, the characters talking to me instead of fighting with me.  I grew to know each of them, their quirks, likes and dislikes, and just how far they would let me push them.   Finally after nearly a year of struggling and then accepting where the story led, it was finished.

Like any writer, I immediately wanted to send it to every publishing house and/or agent I could think of.  Although I knew it would only take one.  As soon as they read it, their decision would be made.  They’d be clamoring to buy this amazing story.  Only it didn’t happen that way.  While everybody liked the story, I heard what most writers hear;  thanks, but no thanks.

Fast forward a few years.  After making the decision to retire Desperate Choices, I read on Twitter about this new publishing branch of Harlequin opening its doors for submissions.  I recommended them to my critique partner, telling her she should send her manuscript to them.  After much debate back and forth, she suggested a bargain.  She would send her manuscript in if I would submit Desperate Choices.  My new choice—should I or shouldn’t I send it?  I struggled with that; after all, I’d said I wasn’t going to send it out any more, buckle down and work on Remy’s story.  I made the choice to give it one more shot.  Imagine my shock when Angela James called me on May 11th and said Carina Press wanted to make an offer to publish Desperate Choices.

The rest, as they say, is history.  Taking that gamble, making that choice to give it one more shot, proved to be the right choice.  A choice I haven’t regretted.

Back cover copy for Desperate Choices:

When psychic Theresa Crawford’s former beau walks into her New Orleans New Age shop, she senses trouble. Big trouble. Max Lamoreaux hasn’t come to discuss their relationship—the private investigator is on a case, and he needs Theresa’s help.

Max’s godson is missing. The police have declared Tommy a runaway, but Max’s gut tells him otherwise. While he’s highly skeptical of Theresa’s abilities, her visions provide the only clue as to who’s taken Tommy. The longer Max works with Theresa, the harder it is to resist his desire for the sexy woman.

As they inch closer to finding Tommy, Max and Theresa also discover that time hasn’t diminished their powerful attraction. But Theresa harbors her own dark secrets from her past. Secrets that broke them up before—and could drive them apart again, unless Theresa can learn to trust Max with everything….

I’ll be posting an excerpt from Desperate Choices later today.  I hope you enjoy it. I’ll be giving one person who comments on today’s blog a copy of Desperate Choices.

Kathy Ivan

Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway | 21 Comments »

An Ebook Convert

Tia_Nevitt | September 28th, 2010

I have a confession: I didn’t read ebooks regularly until I sold The Sevenfold Spell to Carina Press. I had only read a handful, usually at the request of an author I knew well. The reason why I usually avoided them? I had to read them at my computer. And I spent too much time at the computer as it was. My computer isolated me in the study, and my daughter hated it when I disappeared in the study. I hated it too.

Then came the sale to Carina Press in May. I said to my husband, “If I’m going to be an ebook author, I need to embrace the technology.” Besides, I needed a way to show off my book!

Before the end of the month, I had a nook, and I was itching to download the Carina Press titles I had already purchased prior to launch. These books on my nook reflect my love of fantasy, science fiction, mystery and historical fiction. Here they are:

Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator by Janni Nell – I just loved the idea of a paranormal investigator. The cover also sold me on this one.

Captive Spirit by Liz Fichera – I also love novels about different cultures. I got two here, Hohokam Indians and Spanish desperadoes. I really enjoyed it.

In Enemy Hands by by KS Augustin – The math genius whose memory was erased got me, plus I loved the cover with the nonstandard hero. He looks like he escaped a mental hospital, and I want to know more.

Rakes and Radishes by Susanna Ives – This novel just sounded so fun. The characters just get themselves in such a mess. Plus, there is an author’s note before the opening pages that explains about the discovery of Uranus. I was intrigued!

Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty – A romance about the musical world in the time of Beethoven? As a classical music lover, this was a must-buy.

Scene Stealer by Elise Warner – I was unable to resist this cozy mystery.  A little old lady who tries to solve the mystery of a missing kid just had all the right ingredients.

The Bloodgate Guardian by Joely Sue Burkhart – I’ve read Joely’s earlier work (Survive My Fire) and I just love her authorial voice. So I had to have this one.

The Price of Freedom by Jenny Schwartz – I won this one! The cover copy for this novel intrigued me, and I would have purchased it even if I had not won it.

The Sergeant’s Lady by Susanna Fraser – As a military veteran, I loved the idea of a gentlewoman falling for a common sergeant, and I wanted to read her story. I also just loved the guy on the cover.

Alas, I have not had time to read much over the last few hectic months. Here are some other books that I want to give a try:

The Spurned Viscountess by Shelley Munro – I read an excerpt from this novel last week and I think the voice is terrific.

Sunrise over Texas by M. J. Fredrick – Oh, man did I fall in love with this cover. I also love survival stories. Add the fact that the hero just wants to take care of these women and I’m in love with him too.

No One Lives Twice by Julie Moffett – A geeky spy? I’m all over this one.

On Her Trail by Marcelle Dube – This one interested me back during the author’s launch. The mafia in the Yukon? Cool!

Desperate Choices by Kathy Ivan – Blend New Orleans, a missing kid and a PI hero, and I’m hooked.

How did you get hooked on ebooks? Leave a comment and I’ll enter you into a drawing to win an ecopy of The Sevenfold Spell. I’ll announce the winner the evening.

You can visit Tia Nevitt at her website at www.tianevitt.com, where she keeps a book blog. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook, and she’s an active participant at eHarlequin.

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway | 14 Comments »

An Excerpt from The Sevenfold Spell

Tia_Nevitt | September 28th, 2010

For my excerpt from The Sevenfold Spell, I thought I’d share a part that’s hinted about in the cover copy–the part where Talia and her mother decide to build a new spinning wheel.

***

One day, I arrived home from the market to find my mother sitting in her chair, holding a spindle. Not a hand-spindle, but a spindle from a real spinning wheel. It took me a moment to recognize it, because I was not used to seeing it as a separate part.

“Mother,” I said. Ever since the affair with Willard, I had called her thusly. “Where did you get that?”

She cradled the spindle as if it were a child. “Widow Harla gave it to me. She found some spare parts while she was packing.” The widow’s brewing business had been such a success that she had converted her shop to a tavern.

“What are you going to do with it?” I asked.

She looked up at me. “I’m going to build a new spinning wheel,” she said, “and you are going to help me.”

A dozen questions whirled through my mind. I remembered the constable, the armed guards, the spell-wielding fairy. “But what about the ban?”

“It’s been two years and more. They’re hardly looking for spinning wheels these days.”

“How would we hide it?” A spinning wheel has a very particular sound. Its whirring would be audible from the street.

“We’ll spin in the cellar.”

“There’s not enough light down there.”

“I’m a good enough spinster that I don’t need much light,” she said. “And one day you will be, as well.”

“But we have not the skill to build our own spinning wheel.”

“I know every part of a spinning wheel. I can picture one if I close my eyes. We will build a spinning wheel, and then we’ll have the only one in the country.”

As she spoke, I felt an interest quickening within me. Our lives were so dull—the construction of an illegal spinning wheel would certainly enliven it.

She started by having me go buy a cartwheel, which she intended to craft into a flywheel. I went to our neighbor, the wheel- and wainwright down the street. His name was Master Caleb.

“A cartwheel, Miss Talia?” Master Caleb asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Just one?” His brown eyes studied me.

“Yes, sir. Our…our cart lost a wheel.”

“I see. Could you bring the cart in, so I might match it?”

I had not thought of this. “It only needs to be about this big.” I held out my hands about two feet apart.

“But it must be matched to the other wheel, miss.”

Crestfallen, I looked at him. “Oh, I see.”

He regarded me for a moment. “However, I do have wheels for special carts. If I’m not mistaken, you must have one of those special carts.”

I, of course, had no cart at all, but he insisted on showing it to me. He led me to the back room and showed me a wheel.

It was a flywheel. From a spinning wheel. Terrified, I looked up at him.

“Do I understand you, miss?”

“But, sir, this is…this is…”

He smiled. “They only looked for intact spinning wheels, miss. They never came here to claim my unsold stock.”

“But if I should be seen?”

“I’ll wrap it up so it looks square.”

I watched him as he wrapped the wheel in burlap between two squares of wood, which I faithfully promised to return. He had nice, strong arms.

When I came home with a genuine flywheel, my mother was elated.

Mother made detailed drawings, and soon it became clear that we would need specially shaped wooden parts. We, of course, had no woodworking shop, and had not the means to make such parts.

But Master Caleb did. I decided to ask him to help us. To repay him, I resolved to become his mistress. Of course, convincing him took an effort.

***

What is your favorite fairy tale and why? Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win The Sevenfold Spell this evening. I’ll announce the winner in the comments section of the final post of the day.

You can visit Tia Nevitt at her website at www.tianevitt.com, where she keeps a book blog. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook, and she’s an active participant at eHarlequin.


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Posted in Authors, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway, Excerpt | 6 Comments »

A Weird Version of Sleeping Beauty

Tia_Nevitt | September 28th, 2010

When I was researching The Sevenfold Spell, I knew that there was another version of Sleeping Beauty out there with a heroine named Talia, but I didn’t know more than that. So I did some research. I found this Italian fairy tale by Giambattista Basile called Sun, Moon and Talia. Like my story, it is no story for children. The story was way too weird for me, so the only thing I kept was Talia’s name. I wanted my Talia to be Aurora’s opposite–ugly to Aurora’s beauty, and sullied to Aurora’s virginity.

Why was it too weird? Well, read on.

In Basile’s story, Talia is the daughter of a lord, not a king. She does not have a fairy’s curse, but a prophesy at her birth told of her being endangered by flax. Flax is the stuff of linen. Seems like an odd thing to be endangered by, doesn’t it? The lord banned flax from his household, but it was no use. In all the stories, prophesies have a way of making themselves come true.

So far, not so weird–right?

One day, grown-up Talia happens upon an old woman spinning flax with a spindle. She asks the old woman if she can try, but she punctures herself with a splinter from the flax and falls into a swoon. Or a coma, I guess. (Important safety tip–stay away from those deadly flax fibers!)

Everyone thought she was dead, including her lordly father. He couldn’t bear to bury her, so he laid her out in a room and locked up the estate, leaving it forever as a grandiose tomb.

So along comes a young king, and here is where it gets weird. The king is hunting with his falcon and he follows the bird into the abandoned estate. Within, he beholds the sleeping Talia. And what does the handsome king do? Awaken her with a sweet and tender kiss?

No, he rapes her. Oh, I’m sorry. He’s overcome by desire and “makes love to her”. While she’s, you know, asleep. We’re sure she would have wanted him had she been awake. (Snort.)

Once he’s finished, he goes about his merry way, leaving Talia there on the bed, still unconscious. And nine months later, she gives birth to twins. While asleep.

I told you it got weird.

For a while, the babies were managing ok, having wandered to her breasts in the manner of young joeys. Oh wait. I’m sorry–this is where the fairies make their appearance–they help the infants to the mother’s breast. (I liked the heroic journey to her breasts better, but I didn’t write the story.) There, they suckle at need, and let’s not think too hard about baby poop and the rest. Eventually, one of the rooting infants gets lost on the bed and mistakes Talia’s finger for her nipple. He sucks out the splinter and that, not a tender kiss, is what wakes Talia up.

What a shock!

Talia names the twins Sun and Moon. She’s getting along ok, tended by invisible fairies and wondering what the heck happened. And then in his faraway kingdom, the young king finally remembers Talia. So he makes up a lie to his wife about hunting (yes, he’s married), and he goes off and finds her in the manor, along with her twin toddlers. (Toddlers!) He makes a clean confession and lo and behold, they fall in love.

Aww!

Blinded by his love, he goes back home to his wife, where he tosses and turns in his sleep and calls out Talia’s name. The queen through various machinations finds out who Talia is and tricks her into coming to the palace. There, the queen plots to have the children cooked into the king’s dinner, but the horrified cook hides the children away with his wife. Then the queen–truly an Evil Queen–orders Talia to be burned at the stake. Clever Talia gets the queen to covet her beautiful clothes and asks if she can remove them before being burned. The queen agrees. Talia screams and cries as each she sheds each article of clothing, and she attracts the attention of the king. He intervenes, casts his wife into the fire, retrieves his children, marries Talia, and they all live happily ever after.

Don’t worry. My story is nothing like this one.

Let’s face it–some of those fairy tales were strange. Which one do you think is the strangest? Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win an ecopy of The Sevenfold Spell. The winner will be announced this evening, in the comments section of the last post of the day.

You can visit Tia Nevitt at her website at www.tianevitt.com, where she keeps a book blog. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook, and she’s an active participant at eHarlequin.

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Posted in Authors, Behind the Scenes, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway | 16 Comments »

Falling Under the Spell of a Story

JennyBullough | September 27th, 2010

By Jenny Bullough, Manager of Digital Content, Carina Press Acquisitions Team member, and Mom

I have a 6-year-old daughter, so I read a LOT of fairy tales. As any parent knows, sometimes when you’re reading the same story for the umpteenth time, your mind wanders. You might start to wonder, why haven’t any of those seven dwarfs settled down with a nice dwarf lady? Wouldn’t a glass slipper be really uncomfortable? If they confiscate all the spinning wheels, how is everyone in the kingdom going to get thread?

Which is why I immediately fell in love with The Sevenfold Spell. I loved this exploration of the events in Sleeping Beauty from a different point of view; and I loved that it shows there are actual consequences beyond what happens to Aurora! And I also loved that it’s more than just a retelling of an old fairy tale – it really is Talia’s story, in her own words.

Part of my job involves categorizing ebooks, and this story brings in so many elements and themes, it’s impossible to pigeonhole into one genre. It’s got a little bit of everything! In fact, when it came time to report on it to the Acquisitions team, my exact words were: “I don’t know what this is, but we HAVE to publish it!”

And we did. But before we can end this with a “happily ever after”, I’m telling you – you HAVE to read it!

~Jenny

Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press | 7 Comments »

I Heart Reviews

Carly Chow | September 24th, 2010

Hi World,

I really do heart reviews. Why you ask? Because I REALLY heart books. However, the sheer volume of books out there is enough to make you dizzy, which is why reviews (and this blog post) were invented. To make your life just a little less dizzy, here are some recommended reads.


Rakes and Radishes by Susanna Ives

Caroline over at Book Lovers Inc. wasn’t quite sure about this one, but the cover drew her in and then “BAM [she] was hit by its awesomeness”. If anyone can makes radishes awesome, it’s Ms. Susanna Ives.

Texas Tangle by Leah Braemel

Texas Tangle is definitely one hot book. So hot, that Talia at Joyfully Reviewed read it not once, not twice, but THREE times.

The Sweetest Deal by Mary Campisi – Seriously Reviewed

“One of those that tears you up, pulls you in and spits you out…then leaves you wanting to read it again.”

Fair Game by Josh Lanyon – Smokin’ Hot Books

Fair Game hit all of K.C.’s manlove buttons… which is more than you can say about most men. ;)

Dark and Disorderly by Bernita Harris – Literary Escapism

Lisa was intrigued (and creeped out) from the very first sentence, and with a line like “I was standing there naked when my dead husband walked into my bathroom”, I think you will be too.

Posted in Carina Press, Reviews | 2 Comments »

Reading Emergencies

Jayne Hoogenberk | September 23rd, 2010

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Jayne Hoogenberk and I manage the online community at eHarlequin.com and I’m the newest kid on the block at Carina Press.  I joined the acquisition team a couple of months ago and I’m having a great time reading submissions and catching up on the great Carina books my coworkers have been raving about.  I’ve been an ebook convert for some time now, and my trusty Kindle rides daily side-saddle in a pocket of my briefcase and on the weekends in a strategically convenient location in my handbag.  Yes, I live in terror of “reading emergencies”

What is a reading emergency?  It’s when you have NO reading material and circumstances have you stuck in some place you don’t want to be, without something to read.  Like when the only thing to read while waiting at the Dr’s office is a dog-eared copy of Physicians Philatelic Society of Philadelphia…from 1978!!  THAT kind of an emergency.

So imagine how amazing/incredible and wonderful it was to have the instant delivery of ANYTHING I wanted to read ANYWHERE and at ANY TIME thanks to the whispernet technology of my Kindle.  And now that I’m part of the Carina team, I can further indulge my insecurity by downloading manuscripts I want to read and that my friends recommend …for FREE!

Yes, I’m a happy girl!  But back to my real job in our online community.   Our mission there is to facilitate conversations between our authors and readers in our message boards, on our blogs and in our live chat sessions.  And now that we’ve launched Carina Press, we’ve also created a conversation area in our community where we are facilitating discussions between our Carina Press authors and fans.  So I invite you to join our host Penni and me on the Carina Press message boards and get to know the authors behind the books that keep you “turning the pages” of your ebook readers.

You just might find exactly what you’re looking for to cure your next reading emergency!

Jayne

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Posted in Behind the Scenes, Books, Carina Press, submissions | 12 Comments »

Another Dinner: an excerpt from The Spurned Viscountess

Shelley_Munro | September 22nd, 2010

The Spurned ViscountessTo finish up today I have an excerpt from The Spurned Viscountess—a dinner scene. Rosalind has recently arrived at Castle St. Clare and she’s learned Viscount Hastings isn’t very keen on marriage to her. She’s feeling a little lost and frustrated at the same time.

Rosalind pushed a slice of stringy roast beef around her plate and wished the night was over, that the wedding was over and all the guests had left Castle St. Clare. A sharp prod of a mystery lump with her fork did little to disperse her resentment, so she scowled down the table at Hastings, but he never looked in her direction. To lull her agitation, she picked up her glass of French wine and stared into the depths of the ruby liquid, only to set it down again with a soft sigh.

Lady Pascoe laughed without warning. Rosalind glanced up in time to catch the speculative look in the older woman’s eyes. “The gel won’t survive the marriage bed,” she declared. “Doesn’t eat enough to keep a bird alive. Doesn’t drink much either. Get some of that good smuggler’s wine inside you, gel.”

Heat stung Rosalind’s cheeks when she intercepted the amused glances from those seated within hearing distance. She speared a morsel of jugged hare, placed it in her mouth, and chewed stoically.

“Enough, Elizabeth,” Lady Augusta snapped. “That’s hardly a proper topic for dinner conversation.”

“It’s true.” Lady Pascoe directed a query farther down the table. “What do you say, Charles? This latest batch of wine from the smugglers should build the gel’s strength.”

Her rusty cackle set Rosalind’s nerves even more on edge. The pounding in her head intensified, and she gave up all pretence of eating.

A feminine titter at the other end of the table made her wince. It was bad enough that Lady Pascoe shouted loud enough for those in the neighboring village to heed, but for Lady Sophia, daughter of the Earl of Radford, to hear and giggle was beyond embarrassing. Rosalind studied them furtively. The tilt of Lady Sophia’s head as she fluttered her eyelashes at Hastings made it obvious she was avoiding direct eye contact with his scar. Despite her coquettish behavior, the imperfection bothered her. Lady Sophia placed her hand on Hastings’s arm. Rosalind’s eyes narrowed at the familiar action. That was her betrothed Lady Sophia was flirting with.

Rosalind bit back a nasty word, one she’d overheard the coachman use during the journey to St. Clare. Naively, she’d presumed her betrothal would be a time of celebration, of giddy happiness. Not for an instant had she thought her betrothed would ignore her or suggest she cry off. She shuddered inwardly at the idea of returning to live with her uncle and aunt. No, it was unthinkable.

Dinner continued. The footmen removed the tablecloth to serve dessert.

Finally the meal ended and Lady Augusta stood. “We will leave the men to their port and pipes.”

Rosalind trailed after the rest of the women as they wandered through to the Chinese Drawing Room. She chose an upright chair, as far away from the roaring fire as she could, and tried to look inconspicuous. Lady Augusta waited for the ladies to settle before glancing around the expectant faces. “Rosalind, you may entertain us while I pour tea.”

Rosalind wanted to refuse. She hated to play the harpsichord and always had. She hesitated, hoping one of the other women would offer, releasing her from obligation.

But Lady Pascoe shooed her toward the harpsichord. “Go on, gel. Play. Something lively. Augusta, I hope you purchased some tea from the latest shipment. The last lot you served tasted like straw dipped in water.”

Several of the ladies tittered, and Lady Augusta’s gloved hand tightened around the teapot.

“I serve nothing but the best at Castle St. Clare,” Lady Augusta said in an icy tone. “Rosalind, music, if you please.”

Bowing to the inevitable, she settled behind the harpsichord, drew off her gloves and cast them aside. At least they hadn’t demanded she sing.

Purchase The Spurned Viscountess

Note: everyone who comments on my posts today will go into my quarterly draw to win a $25 Amazon voucher. The winner will be announced at my blog during the first week of October.

Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand and enjoys cooking and experimenting with new recipes of all types. You can visit Shelley’s website at www.shelleymunro.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter. To keep up with all Shelley’s current news and to enter subscriber only contests subscribe to Shelley’s newsletter.

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Posted in Authors, Books, Excerpt | 21 Comments »

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