Silk & Scars #HistoricalRomance #NewRelease from @authorCassDean @DecadentPub

New Release from Cassandra Dean

Book Title: SILK & SCARS

Book Series: The Silk Series Book 3

Publisher: Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

Published Date: 2 June 2015

Genre(s): Historical Romance, Sweet Romance, Early Victorian Romance

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?

Other books in the series:

SILK & SCANDAL (The Silk Series Book 1) - http://cassandradean.com/books/the-silk-series/silk-scandal/

SILK & SCORN (The Silk Series Book 2) - http://cassandradean.com/the-silk-series/silk-scorn

Excerpt

“Why did you write me?”

The quiet words gave him a degree of control. “I beg your pardon?”

Her tongue darted out to wet the plump flesh of her lower lip. “Why did you write me? Why did you write those letters?”

Stifling a groan, he cursed himself. Control yourself, man. “You were the one who made the error.”

“Yes,” she said. “But you didn’t need to write back.”

No, he hadn’t. Her letter had clearly been an error, addressed to her friend and full of the easy conversation of long acquaintance. He never should have read it, but he couldn’t help himself. It had been so full of life, so happy and joyous, and he’d wanted to experience that. “Because I liked them. Your letters.”

“What did you like of them?” A smile lit her face, a soft thing that seemed directed more at herself than him. “It was Etta, correct? She and her antics?”

A smile tugged at his own mouth, and he allowed it some expression but not enough to pull his scar. “No, I liked you. That is, I like you.” Heat rose along his neck.

“Oh.” A similar blush stained her skin. “Well. I like you, too.”

He couldn’t stop his smile then.

She drew in her breath.

Immediately, he wiped the expression from his face. He knew how he appeared when he forgot himself.

“Why did you stop smiling?” Confusion filled her voice.

Staring at the floor, he said, “I apologize. I know it’s grotesque.”

“What is grotesque?”

He dug his hands into the chair. “When I smile.”

“No. Edward, no—”

“Of course it is,” he said, and not even her calling him by his Christian name again lightened him. “I am scarred, Gwen. You cannot claim not to have noticed.”

“No, I have, I only—You smiled and I thought....You are so handsome, and when you smile, you are even more—” She cut herself off. A furious blush lit her cheeks.

She thought him handsome? A low boil started within him, and he could not tear his gaze from her lips.

Buy on Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author picture: http://cassandradean.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/8221933.jpg

Professional Bio – Long:

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.

Visit Cassandra’s website at http://cassandradean.com

Join Cassandra’s mailing list at http://eepurl.com/kzesP

Follow Cassandra on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraDean and on Twitter @authorCassDean

Contact Cassandra at cassandra@cassandradean.com

Social Media Links:

Website: http://cassandradean.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/kzesP

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/authorCassDean

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraDean

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cassandradean/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Cassandradean

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Cassandra-Dean/e/B006W6BUE6/

Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5016740.Cassandra_Dean

Authorgraph: https://www.authorgraph.com/authors/authorCassDean

Printable Book List

http://cassandradean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Cassandra-Dean-Printable-Book-List.pdf

Disenchanted #YALit Blog Tour @Leigh_Goff @Saphs_Books

Title: Disenchanted
Author Name:  Leigh Goff
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Occult

Keywords: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Witchcraft, Wethersfield, Goodchild, Mather, witch, coven, true love curse, white witch, black witch, Sophie, Alexavier, bloodcharm, star-crossed, clairvoyant, outcast

ISBNs: e-Book ~ 978-0-9947490-0-0  Print Book ~ 978-0-9920490-9-6
Number of Pages:  264
Release Date: June 1, 2015

A forbidden love. A dark curse. An impossible choice...

About Disenchanted:

Descended from a powerful Wethersfield witch, sixteen-year-old Sophie is struggling to hide her awkwardly emerging magic, but that’s the least of her worries. When a dangerous thief tries to steal her mysterious heirloom necklace, she is rescued by the one person she’s forbidden to fall for, a descendant of the man who condemned her ancestor to hang. He carries a dark secret that could destroy them both unless Sophie learns how to tap into the mysterious power of her diamond bloodcharm. She will have to uncover dark secrets from both of their families' wicked pasts and risk everything, including her soul to save them from a witch's true love curse, but it will take much more than that.

Excerpt:

“You really want to know?” He circled behind me, not touching me, but I could feel him there, just an inch away. He stepped closer, his body heat warming my exposed neck.

I tried to ignore the trembles and craving his alluring voice provoked. Heat and tension continued to roll off him. My breathing quickened.

“Secrets never stay secret in Wethersfield. It’s going to slip out eventually.”

He circled around to face me again and nodded. “Your curiosity is inexhaustible.”

I pressed my hand to my forehead, trying to regroup, which was harder than it should have been. “Look. It doesn’t matter. I can handle whatever it is.”

“Zeke will be thrilled if he finds out what I’m about to tell you.” He shook his head, probably imagining the ugly scenario. “I come from a long line of Mathers who have been more than unlucky in love. A staggering number of them, so many that one cannot blame it on misfortune or bad luck. For years, my father thought it was a genetic fluke until he had our ancestor’s DNA tested and, like his own, it showed nothing.” He rolled his sleeve up enough to show me the pinkish birthmark on his wrist. It resembled a small heart broken in two, exactly like Zeke’s. “You see, from my father’s research, every Mather heir for centuries has carried this mark in this spot. It is something passed down in our family, inherited, but not genetic. That leaves only one explanation. Our bloodline is cursed.”

“Are you sure it’s not Karma or bad luck?” We knew Francis had been cursed for his father’s hand in the hangings. But all of them? I didn’t think a generational curse was really possible.

“I don’t believe in bad luck, but I do believe in the power of this curse. It has haunted us through time.”

“How many of you?”

“After they fell in love? Since Francis Mather, the one buried under the tree next to your ancestor, all of them. Not at first. Some of them were able to bear a child or two before their love deepened and the curse took hold of one or both of them. It is why my father used a surrogate rather than risk a relationship. He, Zeke, and I are the last of Rev. Mather’s direct descendants. It’s too many to make sense so all we are left with is the fact that we are cursed to live a life without love or die from it.”

I staggered backward, staring at the trees lining the path, in shock. Elizabeth warned me about a curse living on. The judge even sputtered on about a problem caused by the witches. Did they both mean a generational curse on the Mathers? Generational curses were only heard of in myths because they required great power and a dark heart. Did Rebecca have that much power? “Let’s say that’s even possible.” I could barely grasp the possibility for the irony got in the way. A curse cast by my ancestor meant to punish the Mathers was now threatening not only my happiness, but my life.


Mirror World Publishing Link:  Disenchanted
Amazon Purchase Link

About the Author:

Writing Enchanting Ever-Afters ♥


Leigh Goff grew up in Maryland where she resides today. Her writing is inspired by an unusual childhood, a vivid imagination, and compelling historical events. After taking several writing courses in college and attending professional writing workshops after she graduated from the University of Maryland, she joined the Maryland Writers' Association and Romance Writers of America. She is also an approved artist with the Maryland State Arts Council.

Learn more about Leigh Goff on her WEBSITE or at Mirror World Publishing.

Follow the Tour Here:


http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-tour-schedule-disenchanted-by.html

http://saphsbookpromos.blogspot.com/

One Night with the Bridal Party series finale Facebook party - June 9th 8 - 10 PM EDT #prizes

The One Night with the Bridal Party series debuted over two years ago with One Night with the Bride. One Night with the Bridesmaid and One Night with the Groom followed in 2014. One Night with the Best Man and One Night with her Husband were released this past spring. This month I am wrapping up the series with the sixth and final book, One Night with his Wife. To celebrate, I'm hosting my very first Facebook online party where I'll be giving away swag, print books, gift cards and more!

Join me on Tuesday, June 9th from 8-10 PM Eastern time (7-9 PM Central time) on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/events/105630266437399/
Prizes:
#1 - Your choice of print book of Love Spanks 2015 Anthology, Construction Beauty Queen, or Love Him or Leave Him.
#2 - Set of sweet, small-town romance print books: Construction Beauty Queen and Love Him or Leave Him.
#3 - Set of 3 children's chapter books (print) from The Bravest Squirrel series: The Bravest Squirrel Ever, The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest, and The Bravest Squirrel in School.
#4 - Sara Daniel swag pack
#5 - Sara Daniel swag pack
#6 - $5 Amazon gift card
#7 - $5 Amazon gift card

(International winners of print prizes will receive a $5 Amazon gift card in lieu of print prizes.)

Join the Facebook party here

Sexy Delight - 1Night Stand with a movie star @MySexySaturday @DecadentPub

A Sexy Delight: 7 Paragraphs from One Night With the Bridesmaid

The façade had gone on too long, and Rob intended to end it. He slanted his lips across hers. In a moment, she would shove him away and announce she wanted Blake, not him, confirming everything he’d accused her of. The sooner, the better because he hadn’t predicted the wave of physical attraction making him itch to explore her lush body and claim her as his own.

She shivered beneath him but didn’t break the contact. Instead, she moaned, curling her hands around the back of his neck. Her sweet taste and eager touch threw him off his game. She disguised her calculations so well, he couldn’t anticipate her next move.

He backed her against the wall, not taking his lips off hers. If she tested him on how far he would take this, she would lose. The more he kissed her, the more he wanted to immerse himself in her amazing curves and powder fresh scent while dumping his grand plan to strip her down to her intentions.

He slid her dress strap from her left shoulder and rubbed his palm over her full breast. Her nipple tightened, and her breathing hitched with each stroke of his fingers. Hell, he was hard and throbbing, as if this was a real seduction.

He tore his lips away from hers before he forgot the reason he’d chosen to meet her. “How dare you break up my brother’s wedding, trick him into a one-night stand with you, and then kiss me like I’m the only man who matters to you right now.”

“You are. I came here to be with you, Rob, not Blake.” She pulled his hand off her breast and yanked her strap back up, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You came here to meet me?” The possibility hadn’t entered his mind. Now the fantasy bloomed to life. He wanted nothing more than to peel the yellow dress off her, run his hands over her light brown skin, and bury his face in her curves. But his only goal was to warn her away from his hurting, vulnerable brother.

Buy Links:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance eBooks
Smashwords
BookStrand
Coffee Time Romance
Kobo
iBooks

Return to My Sexy Saturday here

What if You Fell in Love with an Alien? Top 10 Things to Prepare for @jsubject #scifiromance

What if you fell in love with an alien?

by Jessica E. Subject

Hello everyone! Thank you so much to Sara for having me back on the blog! For those who don’t know me, I write science fiction romance that is heavy on the romance, and just brushes across the science part. Last month, my eighth 1Night Stand story released with Decadent Publishing titled HER ALIEN HERO.

In the story, the heroine discovers that the neighbor she had a crush on as a teen is an alien. Imagine falling in love with one! Well, I’m here to share what might happen if you did....

1. Who knows what kind of torture the parents might put you through to see if you’re good enough to marry their precious child.

2. You’d have to learn how to eat interesting interstellar foods. Just hope it’s not still moving when you go to eat it.

3. Family reunions could be anywhere in the universe.

4. If you want children, you’d have to hope both your species were compatible.

5. You’d likely have to learn another language, but it would give your children an advantage over other children from Earth.

6. Jokes about alien probing would become common around people from this planet.

7. Alien conspiracy theorists would be camped out on your lawn unless you decided to live on another planet.

8. Your lover might have special powers. Imagine the possibilities!

9. Space travel would become as common as driving to the grocery store.

10. You’d be happy.

What do you think would be a positive or negative aspect to being in love with an alien? Can be any type of alien from sexy Superman to the insects from Starship Troopers.

Her Alien Hero

A 1Night Stand story

Erotic Sci-Fi Romance

Librarian by day, erotic romance author by night, Melinda Rose sets out for another exciting conference, this one in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa. But all her plans go up in smoke when the 1Night Stand she applies for is set to happen at the same time.

Cooper Tate heads to Ottawa to meet a friend. When he learns of her deception, he is ready to head back home and vows never to trust her again. That is, until he sees a picture of his stunning date.

With the help of Madame Eve, can these two former neighbors become lovers? Or will extraterrestrial secrets rip away the hero Melinda has always dreamed of?

Available from:

All Romance | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

Amazon US | UK | Canada | Germany | Australia

About Jessica E. Subject:

Jessica E. Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotic. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk with her giant, hairy dog her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook

Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

#FallinLove with Fairytales Word Search Hop #Kindle #giveaway @DecadentBFT

Welcome to the Fall in Love with Fairytales blog tour!

If you would like to win an enormous grand prize consisting of a Kindle, gift certificates, and author swag, visit each day’s post(s) and follow Rafflecopter instructions for prize entries. For more information, please visit the Fall in Love with Fairytales main page.

My favorite school assignment ever was modernizing and retelling a fairy tale, so when Decadent put out the call for a retelling of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, my hand immediately shot in the air. But then I got my fairy tale assignment, and my excitement wilted. The Three Army Surgeons. Huh? I’d never heard of it.

Not only was it obscure, it was also a little gruesome and definitely not a romance. Basically, there are three guys who cut out their eye, hand and heart. They put them on a tray and give them to an innkeeper, intending to put them back in their bodies the next day. Instead, the parts are taken, so a soldier replaces them with the eye of a cat, the hand of a thief and the heart of a pig. The new parts then make the guys act like a cat, a thief and a pig. The guys discover they’ve been tricked and return to confront the innkeeper who gives them some money to pacify them. (You can read the full original story here.)

My charge was to turn this story into a romance. Um, yeah. I couldn’t even figure out who the hero and heroine would be.

So I started with what I did know. Although I enjoy a good ménage romance, I don’t write them, so having the body-part-plucking guys as heroes was out. Same for paranormal stories, which meant I needed a way for these people to walk around with missing parts that would be believable in a contemporary setting without magic or special powers.

This framework led me to have the men run a prosthetics company, but I was still stumped on the romance angle. The only woman in the original story stood around wringing her hands while others found a solution. Then she ran away and never returned when things went bad. I needed an active heroine, someone with a purpose, someone a reader would want to root for.

After dumping the sexist assumption that a solider automatically had to be a man, I made the soldier’s character my heroine. I named her “Armina,” which means soldier. In case that was too subtle, her uncles (the guys with the missing body parts) affectionately refer to her as “Soldier.”

The other person who played a critical role in the story conflict is the innkeeper. He would fit nicely as the hero. After playing with words for a bit, I dubbed him Ian Keer. Now I needed to make him into hero material, and I needed to create a romance (and conflict) between the innkeeper and the soldier. This wasn’t part of the original fairy tale, so my challenge was to write it within the framework of the fairy tale retelling. Finally, I’d arrived at the fun story retelling I’d expected when I raised my hand for this assignment.

I went from “You have got to be kidding me” at the beginning of the initial brainstorming of The Three Army Surgeons fairy tale to “This is so much fun” as I wrote Once Upon a Marriage, part of the Red Book of Grown-Up Fairytales.

Tomorrow, please look for a post from Tara Quan.

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Red Book of Grown-Up Fairytales

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Blue Book of Grown-Up Fairytales

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Green Book of Grown-Up Fairytales

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Gold Book of Grown-Up Fairytales
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Memorial Day - 3pm National Moment of Remembrance with veteran SS Hampton, Sr.

by SS Hampton, Sr.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. It is a 3-day weekend for much of the country—a weekend of family get-togethers, BBQs, and great sales. That is fine.

But please do not forget the real meaning of Memorial Day. Though there had been several local observances, a national Decoration Day was created by “an organization of Union veterans” on 5 May 1868, to be observed on 30 May of that year by the nation in “decorating the graves of war dead with flowers.”

It was after World War I that Memorial Day came to recognize all of those who fought and died in America’s wars. From the American Revolution (1775-1783) to Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-1991), the total American combat deaths number 651,031; the greatest number of war dead was 291,557 suffered by the Greatest Generation during World War II (1941-1945) .

As for the Global War On Terrorism (2001-), or the Long War as some may call it, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, 5,363 men and women have died in combat.

Unfortunately, the world is not a safe and secure place. Yet, we know that in our nation there will never be a shortage of uniformed volunteers willing to stand between unarmed men, women, and innocent children, and the senseless evil in the world.

On Memorial Day this year remember the “National Moment of Remembrance”—at 3:00 PM local time across the country, everyone is encouraged to take a moment to reflect on those who have given their lives for our country. Whatever war they fought in, all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice have names, whether those names loom large in history books or are known only to their families.

And some of us know the names of comrades who made that sacrifice during the GWOT.

Finally, if you have never heard Taps, the final farewell to fallen comrades, take a moment to listen. Take a moment to remember, and to whisper, “Good bye. And thank you.”

~Stan

SS Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a divorced grandfather to 13 wonderful grandchildren, and a published photographer and photojournalist. He retired on 1 July 2013 from the Army National Guard with the rank of Sergeant First Class; he previously served in the active duty Army (1974-1985), the Army Individual Ready Reserve (1985-1995) (mobilized for the Persian Gulf War), and enlisted in the Nevada Army National Guard in October 2004, after which he was mobilized for Federal active duty for almost three years. Hampton is a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle (2004-2006) and Iraqi Freedom (2006-2007) with deployment to northern Kuwait and several convoy security missions into Iraq.

He has had two solo photographic exhibitions and curated a third. His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories and in anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and as stand-alone stories in Horror Bound Magazine, The Harrow, and River Walk Journal, among others.

In May 2014 he graduated from the College of Southern Nevada with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Photography – Commercial Photography Emphasis. A future goal is to study for a degree in archaeology—hopefully to someday work in and photograph underwater archaeology (and also learning to paint). He is currently enrolled as an art student at University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

As of April 2014, after being in a 2-year Veterans Administration program for Homeless Veterans, Hampton is officially no longer a homeless Iraq War veteran.

Hampton can be found at:
Dark Opus Press - Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy Publishing - Melange Books -
Musa Publishing - MuseItUp Publishing - Goodreads Author Page
Amazon Author Page - Amazon UK