I’ve been to Paradise, but I’ve never been to Wyoming

COMING SOON!

Hi peeps! Cassandra Dean here, ready to chat all about Rough Diamond, my newest release with Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape!

Buy HERE

So, the writing of Rough Diamond was an interesting exercise. I never thought I’d write a Western, and only when my editor on my previous release, Teach Me (available now! You peeps should totally buy it!), suggested I give it a crack did I consider it. Then I kinda freaked out a little. I mean, I’m Australian. As in, from Australia. A country that is not the United States of America (as are most countries). What do I know about a town in Wyoming? What do I know about cowboys? Ranching? Mountains? Snow? 

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, WE CALL COWBOYS DROVERS AND RANCHES STATIONS, HERE. WHAT ARE YOU GETTING YOURSELF INTO CASSANDRA, YOU FOOL?

Ahem.

So. Once I calmed down a little, I looked into the whole Old West thing. Deadwood was rewatched. Western romances were reread. Google was googled. I even managed a little trip to Sovereign Hill, an open air museum in country Victoria, frozen in the 1850s Australian gold rush. Ah. Maybe this won’t be so bad. And you know, peeps? It totally wasn’t.

It was really interesting learning about the Wyoming of the time, of the bits and pieces that went into making up a just-starting town. In creating a saloon and a lady owner to go with it, a seemingly empty-headed Englishman and his true purpose. Much fun was had, and I’m so glad my editor suggested it!

Thanks so much for stopping by, peeps!

Cassandra Dean

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Owner of the Diamond Saloon and Theater, Alice Reynolds is astounded when a fancy Englishman offers to buy her saloon. She won’t be selling her saloon to  anyone, let alone a man with a pretty, empty-headed grin…but then, she reckons that grin just might be a lie, and a man of intelligence and cunning resides beneath.

Rupert Llewellyn has another purpose for offering to buy the pretty widow’s saloon—the coal buried deep in land she owns. However, he never banked on her knowing eyes making him weak at the knees, or how his deception would burn upon his soul.

Each determined to outwit the other, they tantalize and tease until passion explodes. But can their desire bridge the lies told and trust broken?

Available from:

Decadent Publishing

Amazon.com ~ Smashwords ~ All Romance eBooks ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Amazon.co.uk 

~ Excerpt ~ 

Lifting the glass, Alice studied its contents. “There is nothing quite like the enjoyment you get from a good whiskey. There’s the look and color of it, and the way it burns in the light.”

“It’s the same color as your eyes,” Llewellyn breathed, his own wide and empty of thought.

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. That’s right. Fool me into thinking there’s not an ounce of calculation to your words. “Is it? Mighty kind of you to notice.”

A happy grin was her response.

Well now, she was surely going to enjoy this. Setting her own half-smile, she tilted her glass, watching as the whiskey caught the light of the candle. “Have you ever noticed the feel of glass? It’s smooth against your fingers, and though the whiskey burns you, the glass is cool. It seems strange, doesn’t it? That such fire could come from something so cool.”

Intensely aware of his gaze upon her, she brought the glass to rest on her bottom lip. “You lift the glass to your lips, and all that coolness rests upon your flesh. The scent of the whiskey hits you, sweet and fiery. Your mouth waters, and you can’t wait to have it inside you. Slowly, so slowly, you tip the glass, teasing yourself as long moments in want of its taste stretch unbearably.”

He no longer wore a smile. Dark eyes watched her as strong fingers dug into the glass before him.

A prickle washed over her skin, her heart a steady beat in her chest. With hushed voice, she continued. “Liquid slides down your throat. The flavor explodes inside you, a glorious rush of sensation that overwhelms and consumes. You curl your tongue, enjoying the lingering sensation in every part of your mouth. Then, you look at the bottle.” Finally, she met his gaze direct. No subterfuge. No tease. “And you know you can do it again.”

And now, a contest#! Comment below and leave your email address to go in the running to win any Decadent Publishing ebook from my back list, a signed ROUGH DIAMOND postcard and ROUGH DIAMOND magnet! Good luck!

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# The small print: Comment before midnight on 15/11/2012 (Australian Central Daylight Time) to be entered to win any Decadent Publishing ebook by Cassandra Dean bar ROUGH DIAMOND, one (1) signed ROUGH DIAMOND postcard and one (1) ROUGH DIAMOND magnet. . Winner will be selected via random.org, with winner’s name posted on this blog by 16/11/2012. Cassandra will also contact the winner by e-mail; the winner will be required to reply with their postal address so Cassandra can send the prize to them.

Only one entry per ISP address. Entrants must be over 18 years of age. By entering, you agree Cassandra can use your name when announcing the winner if you should win. If potential prize winner forfeits or does not claim the prize, prize will be re-awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. All prizes will be awarded. International entries are welcome. No purchase necessary to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Void where prohibited by law. 

~ Bio ~ 

Cassandra grew up daydreaming, inventing fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures. Once she learned to read (First phrase – To the Beach. True story), she was never without a book, reading of other people’s fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures.

Fairy tales, Famous Fives, fantasies and fancies; horror stories, gumshoe detectives, science fiction; Cassandra read it all. Then she discovered Romance and a true passion was born.

So, once upon a time, after making a slight detour into the world of finance, Cassandra tried her hand at writing. After a brief foray into horror, she couldn’t discount her true passion. She started to write Romance and fell head over heels.

The love affair exists to this very day.

Cassandra lives in Adelaide, South Australia.