Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing to post snippets from my upcoming Georgian novel, A Countess Never Tells, Book 3 of my Captivating Countesses series. The book releases on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 and is currently up on pre-order for .99. 

This book brings back the characters from A Countess of Convenience, particularly Judith and John (Lord and Lady Haxby), as Kitty Tate, the heroine is John’s younger sister and Judith’s childhood friend and now sister-in-law. 

BLURB:

They say rakes make the best husbands…but do they?

At the age of twenty-four, vivacious Kitty Tate is having the time of her life in her first London season—such a good time in fact, she’s caught the eye of Lord Ashwood, the ton’s most notorious rake. And he’s caught hers.

She’s instantly taken with the handsome lord and finding out he’s a scoundrel doesn’t deter her one bit. Which is why her brother has forbidden her to see him. Unfortunately for him, Kitty has a mind of her own and the willpower to fight for what she wants.

Ash plans to be a dedicated rake until he’s old and gray, but at the moment he’s determined to seduce the delicious Miss Tate despite her brother’s objections. She’s such a blend of innocence and siren he cannot wait to welcome her into his bed. When he finds Kitty eager to be seduced, Ash’s desire burns brighter still.

But a dastardly wager surfaces, and Ash discovers a truly despicable man is determined to beat him to Kitty’s bed. Forbidden to marry her, Ash must now find another way to protect the woman he’s come to love before she’s ruined by another man.

Today I’m continuing on with chapter one of the novel. Miss Kitty Tate is at a ball and after dancing with a very handsome gentleman she’s just met, he goes off to his next partner. This week I’m skipping ahead towards the end of the chapter. Kitty is talking to a friend of hers, Lady Phoebe, about the fact she’s not gotten any proposals so far this Season. Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

She’d been having such a good time, finally having the Season she’d been denied because of her mother’s illness, then because of the deaths of her parents, she’d not stopped to wonder why she wasn’t getting proposals. Of course, she’d not encouraged any particular gentleman either. There had been many pleasant men to dance with, to talk with to play cards with. But quite frankly no one had stood head and shoulders above the crowd as far as her particular regard was concerned. Perhaps as the Season was dwindling to a close, she should begin to look more closely at the gentlemen left, like Lord Quatford.

Or Lord Ashbrook.

Kitty’s face warmed at the thought of his deep blue eyes and handsome features. Yes, he was certainly a gentleman she would consider as a potential husband. “I suppose I shall have to begin encouraging the gentlemen a bit more strenuously, then Phoebe.”

And a little more for good measure. . . 

Her friend laughed. “I should have thought you’d been doing that already, my dear. Well, you can begin with Lord Quatford, who is heading this way now.” She inclined her head toward the tall gentleman approaching.

He looked up, caught Kitty’s gaze, and smiled eagerly at her. A truly pleasant gentleman. Tall and thin to the point his clothing always looked like it had been blown onto him by a high wind. He wore a wig, which was still somewhat fashionable, especially among the older gentlemen. And he liked to talk about his estate outside of Birmingham, far from the excitement of London.

Well, on second thought, no. Perhaps she wouldn’t encourage Lord Quatford after all.

A Countess Never Tells is now up for pre-order, set to release on August 29th! Here’s the link if you want to grab this “bad boy” for .99!

And the first book of the Captivating Countess series,  A Countess of Convenience, is available on Amazon in e-book for .99, and in print and is on KU. Here’s the link for those options.

I’m now also part of two anthologies for Dragonblade–one that’s part of their Lyons Den shared world called Night of Lyons. My novella is called The Lyons’ Wager and is the pre-quel to the Welwyn Marriage Wager series. Night of Lyons is available on pre-order on Amazon for .99! 

The other one is an historical cookbook of recipies dating back over the centuries complied from the kitchens of Dragonblade authors and their ancestors. It’s called  Dragonblade’s Historical Cookbook, currently on pre-order for .99. It releases October 23, 2023 (just in time for Thanksgiving cookery!). My grandmother’s cornbread dressing I make every Thanksgiving is in there.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Captivating Countesses series