Thank you for joining us on the first day of the Virtual Book Tour for Silk & Scars, a sweet early Victorian romance by Cassandra Dean (2 June 2015, Decadent Publishing, 102 pages). This is the third novella in the Silk series.
PREVIEW: Read the Prologue with Amazon Look Inside
and a first excerpt on Cassandra Dean's website.
Check out the book's synopsis and our excerpt below, and then find out more about Silk & Scars and Cassandra Dean in our Author Q&A.
Author Cassandra Dean will be awarding an ebook copy of either Silk & Scandal or Silk & Scorn, a signed Silk and Scars postcard and Silk & Scars magnet (International giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
Please do take part: comment on our post and follow the tour where you will be able to read other excerpts, guest posts and interviews; also the more comments you leave the higher your chances of being a winner.
Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops
Synopsis
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. After 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?
Teaser: Excerpt
“Edward.” Her hand slid up his lapel. Turning, he found her gray gaze upon him, a faint crease between her brows. “What is different?”
He stared into her eyes. She met his monocular gaze, no part of her expression revolted by the eye patch, the scars. He glanced at her hand, stroking his chest almost absently, her attention fully and totally on him. “When I received your letter, the one meant for Etta, it was like a ray of light, a beacon through relentless gray. So I responded and you sent your next letter and they....You were so full of joy, it bubbled out from the page and made me think perhaps I could experience it, if only a little. You had Etta, and your parents, and your employment, and though all three annoyed you on occasion, you had such…illumination.” His finger began a mad rhythm against his leg. “I’ve never had any of that. I’ve been here alone since the accident. I didn’t go to Eton. I was too ill. By the time I was old enough to attend university, I was so far behind there was no point. I went to London for the Season, but.... That did not turn out well.” Memories of horrified stares assaulted him, the whispers and notoriety that had come with his foray into society. Forcing the memories away, he said, “So I came home, and stayed.
“Then you sent me a letter. A bright, shining thing, and we corresponded and I...I wanted to meet you. So I arranged it that Beecham brought you to Sowrith, but I never thought he would not tell you, that I—” He grimaced. “You know what happened.
“Then you arrived, you were here, and I couldn’t.... There were no words. So I stood like a fool and watched you, and I wished I had the words that came so easily by pen. You were just like your letters—bright and gold and glittering, with your smile and your lightness, even when you frowned. And that was amazing to me. You are amazing to me. I wish I could…I wish I could tell you…” Finally, he looked at her.
Eyes wide, she regarded him, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Shifting his weight, he averted his gaze. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things. I—”
A gentle finger against his lips stilled his words, and he remained silent as her hand slipped to cup his cheek. The ruined one. Emotion shuddered through him as he absorbed her touch.
“See? You say such things and I can’t…” Her thumb tracing his cheekbone, her other hand slid up his chest to crumple his lapel as she pulled. Following her direction, he leaned down.
Tentatively, her lips brushed his.
Hardly daring to breath, he stood stock still as she hesitantly explored the shape of his mouth, her lips molding to his with small stops and starts. Her tongue darted against his lips and he shuddered, the sensation exquisite and overwhelming.
Wrapping his good arm around her, he urged her close. She came, her arms slipping about his neck as her lips opened under his. The wind tore at his hair and howled in his ears, his heart thundering in his chest. Her mouth was warm and eager, tasting of honey and gold. Of Gwen.
He stared into her eyes. She met his monocular gaze, no part of her expression revolted by the eye patch, the scars. He glanced at her hand, stroking his chest almost absently, her attention fully and totally on him. “When I received your letter, the one meant for Etta, it was like a ray of light, a beacon through relentless gray. So I responded and you sent your next letter and they....You were so full of joy, it bubbled out from the page and made me think perhaps I could experience it, if only a little. You had Etta, and your parents, and your employment, and though all three annoyed you on occasion, you had such…illumination.” His finger began a mad rhythm against his leg. “I’ve never had any of that. I’ve been here alone since the accident. I didn’t go to Eton. I was too ill. By the time I was old enough to attend university, I was so far behind there was no point. I went to London for the Season, but.... That did not turn out well.” Memories of horrified stares assaulted him, the whispers and notoriety that had come with his foray into society. Forcing the memories away, he said, “So I came home, and stayed.
“Then you sent me a letter. A bright, shining thing, and we corresponded and I...I wanted to meet you. So I arranged it that Beecham brought you to Sowrith, but I never thought he would not tell you, that I—” He grimaced. “You know what happened.
“Then you arrived, you were here, and I couldn’t.... There were no words. So I stood like a fool and watched you, and I wished I had the words that came so easily by pen. You were just like your letters—bright and gold and glittering, with your smile and your lightness, even when you frowned. And that was amazing to me. You are amazing to me. I wish I could…I wish I could tell you…” Finally, he looked at her.
Eyes wide, she regarded him, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Shifting his weight, he averted his gaze. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things. I—”
A gentle finger against his lips stilled his words, and he remained silent as her hand slipped to cup his cheek. The ruined one. Emotion shuddered through him as he absorbed her touch.
“See? You say such things and I can’t…” Her thumb tracing his cheekbone, her other hand slid up his chest to crumple his lapel as she pulled. Following her direction, he leaned down.
Tentatively, her lips brushed his.
Hardly daring to breath, he stood stock still as she hesitantly explored the shape of his mouth, her lips molding to his with small stops and starts. Her tongue darted against his lips and he shuddered, the sensation exquisite and overwhelming.
Wrapping his good arm around her, he urged her close. She came, her arms slipping about his neck as her lips opened under his. The wind tore at his hair and howled in his ears, his heart thundering in his chest. Her mouth was warm and eager, tasting of honey and gold. Of Gwen.
Silk & Scars - available NOW!
UK:
US:
The Series: Silk
Love and the Law...
The series will comprise five books and centres around a group of friends who attended Cambridge to study the law. Each book will feature a law-loving person (SILK) and their hero/heroine (SCANDAL / SCORN / SCARS / SCHOLAR / SCARLET)Click on the book cover to Look Inside the book on Amazon and read an excerpt.
Silk and Scandal [1]
Eight years ago…
Thomas Cartwright and Lady Nicola Fitzgibbons were simply friends. Over the wall separating their homes, Thomas and Nicola talked of all things – his studies to become a barrister, her frustrations with a lady’s limitations.
All things end.
When her diplomat father gains a post in Hong Kong, Nicola must follow. Bored and alone, she falls into scandal, time and again. Mired in his studies of the law and aware of the need for circumspection, Thomas feels forced to sever their ties. Besides, a member of parliament cannot be associated with a woman of scandal—it isn’t proper.
But now Lady Nicola is back in London…and she won’t let Thomas ignore her. [Published 3 May 2013, 54 pages]
Silk and Scorn [2]
No matter how much their mothers wanted Sarah and Arthur to wed, Sarah had loathed him. However, circumstance and her late husband’s father conspire against her, and she is forced to turn to Arthur for help. Perhaps she needs his legal expertise, but she refuses to acknowledge how handsome her oldest foe has become…or her reaction to him.
His childhood nemesis is the last person Arthur Davenport expected to require his services. When a spurious claim against her late husband’s estate brings Sarah Wetherall to his door, he can’t refuse the pretty widow, no matter how much he wants to.
Thrown together by fate, will they discover there is a fine line between scorn and passion? [Published 16 February 2014, 67 pages]
About the Author
Cassandra Dean is a best-selling, multi-published author of historical and fantasy romance. Her novel, Slumber, is part of Decadent Publishing’s Beyond Fairytales and features Cassandra’s take on Sleeping Beauty. Her latest novel, Silk & Scars, is part of her popular Silk Series, featuring Victorian Era lawyers and their happily ever after. Her next novels will be SILK & SCHOLAR, book 4 of the Silk Series and THE DIAMOND SERIES BOX SET, collecting together books from her Diamond Series and set in the Old American West.
Cassandra is proud to call South Australia her home, where she regularly cheers on her AFL football team and creates her next tale.
Join Cassandra's Fans and Supporters Facebook Group, and subscribe to Cassandra's newsletter and you could win* swag, including signed postcards, magnets and possibly more**!
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Giveaway and Tour Stops
Enter to win an ebook copy of either Silk and Scandal or Silk and Scorn, a signed Silk and Scars postcard and Silk and Scars magnet (International giveaway) – a Rafflecopter giveawayRemember to comment to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow Silk and Scars's tour at:
July 27: BooksChatterJuly 28: Rogues Angels
July 28: Long and Short Reviews
July 29: Buried Under Romance
July 29: Romantic Historical Reviews - promo
July 30: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess - review
July 31: Katherine Givens: Historical Romance Author
July 31: Room With Books
3 comments:
Hi all
Thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoy this interview, and thank you to Books Chatter for hosting me.
Spoiler alert: I'm in Australia, where it's currently 8:30pm on 27 August. I know, the future!!! Anyhoo, it might take me a little bit of time to respond to your comments, but I'll definitely check in at some point...from the future... :D
Cassandra
xx
Thank you for a great interview!! You rock Cassandra!
Thanks so much, Ben :D
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