Wild, Wild West

Hi Peeps,

Please join me in wishing ROUGH DIAMOND a happy Book Birthday. Just over one year ago, the first in the Diamond Series was released. Part of Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape, ROUGH DIAMOND features the tale of Alice Reynolds, saloon owner, and Rupert Llewellyn, Englishman...or is he?

I had so much fun with these characters and with the challenge of writing a western. I hadn’t ever thought of writing a story set in America’s Old West, but when my editor on TEACH ME suggested I give it a try, I jumped right in. A picture formed of a lady saloon owner who creates a monthly theater Spectacular and dreams of the stages of Paris and a canny Welshman employed by a coal company who pretends to be English buffon in order to disarm those he engages in business. Phew, that sounds a bit complex but it all makes sense, trust me! Alice, of course, sees right through Rupert’s prattle and knows there’s more to this man that what he wants her to believe. Rupert, for his part, is fascinated that he can’t fool her. The rest is history!

ROUGH DIAMOND is currently on sale at all the Amazons including US ($2.99) and UK (£1.98). Also, if you like the sound of  ROUGH DIAMOND, the second in the Diamond Series, FOOL’S GOLD, is available as well.

Thanks for hanging with me, peeps.

Cassandra Dean

THE DIAMOND SERIES, BOOK 1

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 NOW

Decadent Publishing

Amazon: US | UK | Canada

Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks 

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.

You can find Cassandra at:

CassandraDean.com ~ Cassandra and Lucy ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Goodreads ~ Tumblr ~ Pintrest ~ Amazon.com 

Another Western? How did this happen??

Hey peeps! Cassandra Dean here, ready to tell you all about The Diamond Series and book the second, Fool’s Gold.

Wow, book 2 in a series I never thought I would write. Crazy, hey? As you may know, I really like watching westerns on the tv and the place that plays the movies, but I’ve never thought of writing my own. So when my editor suggest I write for Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape, I was a bit hesitant as I wasn’t sure I could do the genre justice. I mean, I hear English voices in my head real good, but Old American West ones? Not so much. However, I went away, had a bit of a think, and came up with book 1 of the series, Rough Diamond!

After Rough Diamond was finished, I thought that was it. Alice and Rupert had their happily ever after and though I could now hear Western voices in my head, I thought one book would be it. However, the West is seductive, my friends. Two secondary characters, Pearl and Ethan, were unduly antagonistic to each other in Rough Diamond and I was all-fired curious as to why this was so. The tendrils of a new story formed and before I knew it, Fool’s Gold was here!

Fool’sGold is Christmas at the Diamond Saloon in Freewill, Wyoming. Pearl is now the manager of the Diamond while the owner, Alice, is away. It’s Christmas Eve and all she wants to do is wait out the blizzard that’s blowing their way in an unusually empty saloon, curled up in bed with a whiskey and a French magazine. A pounding on the Diamond’s door robs her of such thoughts, and when she opens the saloon to whoever is doing the pounding, she’s all het up to see it’s the overwhelmingly annoying Ethan Garret. Before she can get him to leave again, the blizzard blows in and the two of them are trapped alone in an empty saloon...Shenanigans ensue :)

Here’s the blurb, peeps!

Christmas in Freewill

Christmas Eve, the Diamond Saloon is empty of its people, and Pearl la Monte has a hankering to retire early. A pounding at the Diamond’s door rids her of such a fool notion. Her irritation rises when she sees the prissy, polite-like Garrett standing outside.

Ethan Garrett has a powerful need to gain succor. When the saloon’s voluptuous redheaded singer scowls at him from the threshold of the Diamond, he doesn’t stop to think on how his ire at her has disappeared. Or how he just wants to spend some time in her company.

When a blizzard storms in, trapping them, will they spend their time arguing or find their irritation for each other disguises something more?

Sounds pretty nifty, right? Crazily enough, I’m planning on writing number three. Tentatively entitled Emerald Sea, this story is very much in progress. I think there may be a gunslinger, and a chorus girl. Maybe. Who knows, anything is possible at this stage!

Thanks so much for hanging with me, peeps, and I hope you’ll check out the Diamond Saloon and her people.

Cassandra Dean

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Tumblr ~ Pintrest ~ Amazon.com

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

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Tumblr ~ Pintrest ~ Amazon.com

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!

=====================================================================
# 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.

Saloons and Sovereign Hill

by Cassandra Dean

Today, my very first historical Western comes out with Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape. Huzzah! However, it all started for me back at the beginning of the year, with the beginnings of an idea and a trip to Sovereign Hill. Sovereign Hill is a living, open air museum in Ballarat, Victoria. Earlier this year, I visited to undertake some much needed research on what would become my brand new release, ROUGH DIAMOND Frozen during Victoria's Gold Rush during the 1850s, Sovereign Hill gave me a great insight into what life might have been like in 1876 Wyoming. The wooden buildings and boardwalks, the hard packed dirt streets, the narrow laneways - all of this was fantastic for the flavour of a frontier town. The museum even employs people to dress up in period costume and wander the streets as townfolk! Because a saloon and theatre feature predominatnely, I spent a lot of time in the Victoria Theatre. It was fantastic seeing the various performances, including the elusive Lola Montez and her World Famous Spider Dance ;p. I took home a lot of great info I could and did use in ROUGH DIAMOND. The Saloon/bar is right next to the theatre in Sovereign Hill, just as it is in ROUGH DIAMOND. The narrow laneways zigzagging between buildings became the site of Rupert and Alice's first kiss. The world of Freewill, Wyoming in ROUGH DIAMOND owes a lot to a small town half a world away, and 150 years in the future!

    

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? 

~ 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.”