Dreams Can Sometimes Turn into Nightmares

By Cate Masters

Disaster and hope often intermingle in strange ways. When I first read about the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, the city’s utter devastation amazed me. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know.

What really struck me about this disaster was the response of the people affected: their sheer determination to get their lives back on track, and as soon as possible. The 1906 earthquake had catastrophic consequences, killing as many as 3,000 people in what was then one of the largest cities in the U.S. Many survivors witnessed horrific deaths, either by the earthquake itself, which toppled poorly constructed buildings onto those trying to escape the quake’s aftermath, or the citywide fires that resulted. Officials shot anyone suspected of looting, and in a few extreme cases, executed people trapped by debris and otherwise doomed to die horrific deaths in the fire. Some really chilling accounts of such instances completely gripped me.

While the disaster changed a way of life for San Francisco residents, it also engendered hope across the nation. President Teddy Roosevelt sent food rations and supplies by mule and train. The stricken San Franciscans rolled up their sleeves and got to work clearing debris. If left standing, some shops reopened for business the next day.

The pioneering spirit was still very much alive. What also fascinated me was the gritty strength of the women. They worked side by side with the men to clear debris, or do whatever it took to get the city, and their lives, functioning again.

So, like any writer, I thought: wow, what a great setting for a story! I love writing strong, feisty heroines. I couldn’t wait to toss two unsuspecting characters into the melee.

But not two ordinary people. No, both Norah Hawkins and Gerard “Mac” MacKenzie had disastrous pasts, and desperately needed to leave them behind. San Francisco beckoned to them: Norah dreamed of opening a respectable gentleman’s club, and Mac dreamed of tickling the ivories playing the latest ragtime melodies. They couldn’t know that the city would strip them of their dreams, and challenge them in the deepest way.

One of the great things about the early 1900s is that photography, while still crude compared to today's standards, was no longer in its infancy. In fact, I found this video of San Francisco, pre-earthquake - how amazing is that? Horse and carriages sharing the street with automobiles, street cars and pedestrians, who all are apparently unconcerned with a possible collision!. It’s a wonderful illustration of the hustle and bustle of this vibrant city.

Thanks so much for reading! Sweet dreams. :)

Betting It All

by Cate Masters

Historical romance novella

(about 29k)

Blurb:

Norah Hawkins wants a new life as far from her old one as possible, but where can she ever find that chance? When a letter arrives promising her the deed to property in San Francisco, Norah packs her bags and flees the broken shards of her troubled past.

With its anything-goes atmosphere, 1906 San Francisco suits Irishman Gerard MacKenzie just fine. He loves tending bar in Norah’s saloon, and verbally sparring with the shrewd businesswoman for more privileges and work. Her beauty, wit and sass make his blood boil with need.

But disaster looms over their promising new lives when a terrible earthquake buries their dreams and threatens to shatter their future. Norah and Mac must rebuild their lives from the ruins and they’ll need each other more than ever, but can their ties to each other save them or tear them apart? 

Available from:

Decadent Publishing || Amazon || Barnes and Noble 

About Cate

Multipublished, award-winning author Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com  and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Catch up to Cate:

Blog || Facebook || Amazon || Goodreads || You Tube || Twitter

Author Newsletter: Sign up through my blog! Exclusive goodies for subscribers. :)

#catemasters, #decadentpub

The Governess and The Beast: Available on Audio!

THE GOVERNESS AND THE BEAST  

Decadent Publishing. Historical/Gothic/Erotic novella 

Book 2 in the Blind Cupid series

Approx 21,000 words

Release: May 14 2013

I adore the Victorian era! It was an amazing time of scientific discovery and industrial improvements. Though Victorian society was outwardly prudish, underneath is a seamy underbelly that fascinates me! In London alone, there was one prostitute for every four men. So if a lot of my heroines are prostitutes, its because most women left on their own had no other recourse to survive. The era was a brutal one for the poor and indigent. In my best-selling novella, The Governess and the Beast, two lonely, damaged people take a chance on love. ~Karyn

BLURB: 

Hiding secrets and a past she longs to forget, Hortense Jennings answers an ad for a governess and embarks on an adventure she did not expect.

Concealed in a gothic, crumbling manor on the edge of a North Sea cliff, Baron Simon Wolstenholme is hiding from life. Horribly scarred from battle wounds, he lives up to his name “The Beast of Stonecliff” in both appearance and attitude until he realizes how lonely he has become.

Simon propositions Hortense for a singular night of passion. Raging weather and storms of anger clash between a lonely man and a distrustful woman to reveal secret desires in an emotional crescendo. Can the Governess and the Beast find calm amid the storm and admit their true feelings, or will pride destroy the fairy tale before it begins?

CONTENT ADVISORY: Light Bondage

REVIEWS:

5 STARS "Karyn Gerrard has written a powerhouse of a story. This novella has the chemistry and passion found in much lengthier stories and the characters are well developed."~Melissa

5 STARS "Packing all of that characterization and emotional impact into a short story of less than twenty-one thousand words shows Karyn Gerrard's formidable writing talent" ~Gaele

Excerpt:

“Do you have courage, Miss Jennings?”

The question confused her for a moment. “I suppose as much as the next person....”

Baron Stonecliff reached behind his head, untied the knot, and unwound the scarf until he exposed his face. Utter ruin. She fought back the gasp of shock but could not prevent her physical recoil and stepped back. Mottled, puckered skin and a maze of nasty wounds, some of them burns, covered the left side. Scars crisscrossed his cheek and disappeared into his hairline. How miraculous his lips and jaw remained intact. What made the destruction harder to bear was the breathtaking masculine beauty still visible on the right. Lord Stonecliff must have been devastatingly handsome at one point. She kept her gaze steady, and she hoped, her emotions well buried. With swelling evident, she surmised his injury must have occurred in the last several months. The skin was red and raw. Would it be it sore to the touch? The scarring continued down his neck and disappeared under his collar. So, not only his face received injury.

“Have you looked your fill?” Stonecliff snapped in annoyance. “You must be able to gaze upon the horror that is my face. When I am in my own home, I do not cover it. The doctors recommended leaving my visage free to breathe in order to aid healing. Since am I told it is not as red as before, I suppose their theory has merit....”

He frowned and shrugged with slight indifference. The words were probably the most he had spoken to anyone in some time, and no doubt more than he wanted to share.

Hortense swallowed and took a step toward him. “Regardless, you are free to do as you wish in your own home. Since I did not run screaming from the room, there should be no difficulty.”

Did one corner of those full, sensuous lips quirk into an almost-smile? Oh, Lord, why was she thinking of his lips?

He bade her to sit again and took the chair opposite. Stonecliff crossed his long legs and regarded her closely.

“What I am about to say may well have you scream and run from the room. I did not bring you here to be governess to my ward. In truth, he is eleven years old and away at school. I lied. I brought you here to be—my companion.” 

BUY AT AMAZON

BUY AT ALL ROMANCE

BUY AT BOOKSTRAND

BUY AT BARNES AND NOBLE

Also available on Audio!

AMAZON|| AUDIBLE

BOOK 1 of The Blind Cupid trilogy  is THE BLIND CUPID (Short Story)

BLURB:  

   Was Cupid blind? 

   Anne Sommer, a spinster firmly on the shelf, does the unthinkable. She hires a man to give her pleasure for one night. Anne wants the erotic memories to keep her company in the lonely years ahead. She did not expect the young man who showed up at her door to move her in ways she never imagined. 

   Desmond Glover gives pleasure---for a price. An orphan whose childhood was mired in scandal and poverty, Desmond has learned to close off his emotions with regard to his occupation. He did not count on a lonely spinster to awaken his hidden passion. 

   Not only do the years separate them, but their social standings. Can Anne and Desmond cross such a chasm and find mutual desire---or love? 

BUY AT AMAZON

BOOK 2 is THE GOVERNESS AND THE BEAST 

BOOK 3 is THE COPPER AND THE MADAM

BLURB: 

   In 1897 London, Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant Rory Kerrigan never expected to find love among the crime-ridden streets he vowed to protect. Kerrigan, a man with a wretched past and hardened heart, keeps emotion from his life and its interference with his police work.  

   Abbess Rea is owner of the brothel, The Blind Cupid, and a woman with a secret and desolate past of her own. Rubenesque and leery of men, Rea lets no one close.       Yet, she cannot deny the ruggedly handsome Rory touches her heart.  

   A grisly murder on Kerrigan’s turf has Rory and Rea teaming up to bring the killer to justice. As danger lurks closer, secrets are revealed and passion is ignited. Will the copper and the madam acknowledge their mutual yearning even at the peril of their lives? 

BUY AT AMAZON 

Karyn Gerrard Bio:

Karyn lives in a small town in the western corner of Ontario, Canada. She wiles away her spare time writing and reading romance while drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey tea.

Tortured heroes are a must. A multi-published author with a few best-sellers under her belt, Karyn loves to write in different genres and time periods, though historicals are her favorite. As long as she can avoid being hit by a runaway moose in her wilderness paradise she assumes everything is golden.

 Karyn’s been happily married for a long time to her own hero. His encouragement keeps her moving forward.

                               Karyn's Site/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest

SILK & SCORN, The Silk Series Book 2 #historicalromance

Hi peeps,

I’m so excited to share with you all my newest release, SILK & SCORN!

SILK & SCORN is the second in The Silk Series, five interconnected tales about a group of law-loving people who studied or lived in Cambridge in Victorian England. SILK & SCORN is Sarah and Arthur’s story, childhood antagonists who find themselves thrown together when Sarah requires Arthur’s legal expertise. Slowly, they discover the prejudices of childhood may have been exaggerated and there are qualities to admire in each other, and perhaps even love...

I had such fun with Sarah and Arthur and I hope you do too!

Cassandra

xx 

THE SILK SERIES, BOOK 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?

Available NOW

Decadent Publishing

Amazon: AU | US | UK

Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks 

Cassandra Dean 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. 

  

You can find Cassandra at: 

CassandraDean.com ~ Cassandra and Lucy ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Goodreads ~ Tumblr ~ Pintrest ~ Amazon.com

Historical Alpha Heroes~What’s Not to Love?

Available HERE

By Karyn Gerrard

Everyone has a preconceived notion of what an Alpha Romance Hero should be. Some like the controlling, domineering cold men of the 50 Shades variety. They really don’t do it for me, though I know a lot of women seem to adore this type. Sales bears this out. 

There is also the Shifter/Alpha type male who can also be domineering, but it’s tempered with total, singular devotion and focus on the heroine, loving her for who she is even as he wishes to claim her. This guy for all his outward caveman tendencies, is a pussycat underneath. This type of hero is great for Paranormals and also for that medieval Highlander or Viking. 

Then there is the Alpha hero who is tortured and damaged either inside or out or both. He is cold and haughty, protecting his heart, but when the heroine gets past his defences, she finds a man aching to be touched, to be loved, to be healed. 

This is the guy I love to write about. I find the historical alpha hero can be a mixture of all three types I mentioned. Mix in some historical background and you have a great hero.  I like that the historical setting gives the hero an honorable thread through his character that sometimes isn’t noticeable in some contemporary heroes. For all his alpha-ness, he is a man constrained and ruled by the era he lives in. Love that. 

 In The Copper and the Madam, Rory Kerrigan, my Scotland Yard detective, fits the third type more than anything. He is haunted by his past and comes across a woman whose past might be darker than his. 

Both have to learn to let the other person inside and past those defenses. But I really enjoyed taking the journey with my tough, Victorian era copper as he learns to open his heart and for the first time in his life, put a woman’s wants and needs before his own.  *sigh*

To me, that’s a real Alpha.

Excerpt: 

“Did you enjoy the show, darlin’?”

Rory stepped out of the shadows, the uneven illumination making it impossible to tell his mood. His voice was neither teasing nor angry but flat and devoid of emotion. What a surprise to discover this dispassionate side of Rory.

Furious rage overcame her embarrassment. “You have been out here the whole time? Who told you? By God, when I find out who it is, I will toss them out into the street—”

“Easy, Rhiannon. You forget, I’m a detective. I can observe a place for hours. Standing in this hall was no time at all to me. Besides, no one had to tell me anything. Well, that’s not quite true. Someone informed me ages ago you like to watch. So I began to wonder. It did not take long to find your hidden door. How long and why?” Annoyance deepened his voice.

Caught good and proper. What should she tell him—that the only way she could feel anything at all was to observe others having sex? And that watching him gave her the greatest pleasure she had ever experienced? She shook her head. “It is my private business.”

She turned to stomp away, but Rory reached out and clasped her arm.

“Not so fast, Rhiannon. What you invaded was my private business. How. Long?” Barely banked fury colored his tone.

“Three years. Let me go.”

Rory pulled her against him. He clutched her arm tighter and she winced.

“Now, you will tell me why.”

Hot tears blurred her vision. “Fine. Maybe it’s the only enjoyment a fat, lonely whoremonger can acquire.”

Rory clasped both her arms and glared down at her. His eyes danced with emerald fire.

“Do not call yourself fat, not in my hearing. I know portly when I see it, and you’re not it, darlin’. You have ample curves, aye. Fat is rolls, waddling when you walk, and ten steps have you breathing hard. That is fat.” He trailed his hands down her arms and rested them at her sides. After a few moments pause, they moved over her hips up to her waist. A groan tore from his lips. “Curves, Rhiannon. Luscious, succulent curves. Breasts a man could happily get lost in. Don’t get me started on your arse.”

Well. Heat lingered across her body where his hands roamed. Rory stopped below her breasts, his thumbs brushing the undersides. He caught her earlobe between his teeth then his tongue whorled her ear. A lustful shudder quaked her all over.

“Next time you want to watch me, sit in a chair in the room with me. Don’t hide in a broom cupboard with holes drilled into the walls, you follow?” 

GLBT Historical and Contemporary Western Romance

by Shiloh Saddler

I’m a country girl. My Grandparents had a small ranch and raised cows and chickens. I like hiking in the mountains and dressing in a Stetson, Levis, and a boots. I guess it was natural I gravitated toward the western romance genre. I prefer my GLBT on the country side whether it is historical or contemporary.

My debut novella The Virgin Madam was released November 5^th. It is a F/F historical romance set in California in 1879.

Here’s the blurb:

After a vicious outlaw murders her father, Laura Rutherford sees no future beyond running the family brothel and kowtowing to the local gang. Not even marriage offers escape. No man can compete with the beautiful women who dance the can-can for her each night...at least not until a gentle stranger sweeps in and opens her eyes to desires too long denied.

Joe Bascum stumbles into Bitterroot Flats looking for a place to hide from a gunman out for blood. When the innocent Madame from the local brothel offers a bed and bath, Joe accepts hoping to show the buttoned-up beauty just how right forbidden desire can feel.

When danger escalates, can Laura help Joe defeat the famous Fletcher gang, or is she destined to live a lonely life as the virgin madam?

The Virgin Madam is book #1 in the Girls and Guns series. While I plan to write more books in the series, and book #2 The Lumberjack’s Daughter is already outlined, I have gotten sidetracked on other projects. This wasn’t my fault. Honestly, it was all Eva’s.

Eva Lefoy has been my critique partner for a long time. Recently we also became writing partners co-authoring a M/M contemporary western Perfect Ride book #1 in the Ridden Hard series.

I was the country brains of this operation. Eva didn’t know a darn thing about a bull. and the hero is a professional bull rider on the PBR circuit. Nothing gets me more excited than seeing a cowboy in tight blue jeans and a cowboy hat. Okay, I’m not quite a buckle bunny but I’m open to the idea. J

Perfect Ride will come out soon from Decadent. But you don’t have to wait until that is released to enjoy some GLBT western romance fun!

The Virgin Madam is available now!

Decadent Publishing

Amazon: US | UK

ARe

Barnes and Noble

Shiloh Saddler likes to do research for her steamy romances first hand. She has invented a time machine and travels back to the 19th century on a regular basis. There are experimental settings on her time machine which could propel her into the future and even other worlds. She believes love and a good book makes anything possible.

You can find Shiloh at:

Blog: http://shilohsaddler.blogspot.com/

Email:  ShilohSaddler@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shiloh.saddler?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShilohSaddler

TEACH ME: The Language of the Fan

By Cassandra Dean

It’s so much fun researching bits and pieces for my stories. I really enjoying throwing in the random little tidbit to add flavour and colour to a scene or a situation. Such happened in TEACH ME. The story of a curious widow who turns her curiosity to erotic pleasure and the cold, unemotional earl who teaches her, I thought it would be fun to include other things Malvern teaches Elizabeth, including erotic poetry, burlesque performances and fan language.

It’s a throwaway bit, less than a page. The first mention is a sentence or two and the second mention is a tiny bit longer. However, I really enjoyed discovering fan language. To begin, here’s the second mention of fan language in TEACH ME:

Deliberately, Elizabeth took the Venetian lace fan he’d purchased for her birthday in her right hand and raised it to obscure her features.

A faint smile touched Malvern's lips as he deciphered the message. Foolish woman. He would have followed her anyway. Had he not proven that by his very presence at this tedious ball?

As she departed, her fan rested lightly on her bare shoulder, and his fingers itched to stroke her ivory skin. […]Perspiration broke on his forehead and his hold on the façade of detachment slipped, his desire for her the only thing that could force such a reaction.

As she passed through the door, she glanced at him one final time. Her look promised all his fevered mind […]imagined and more, the fan’s handle resting lightly on her lips. Burning with the need to kiss her as she had invited, he cursed himself for ever teaching her that damned fan language.

Nifty as, hey? :)

Fan language developed due to the restrictions placed upon women during the Georgian era. Private communication wasn’t allowed between men and women, and so a language developed for furtive lovers. Being as fans were so prevalent, the language took the form of specific actions using the fan. Here are some examples:

Touching right cheek – yes

Touching left cheek – no

Twirling in left hand – we are watched

Twirling in right hand – I love another

Open and shut – you are cruel

Open wide – wait for me

With handle to lip – Kiss me

In right hand in front of face – Follow me

Drawing across the cheek – I love you

Further to the above, the wonderful television show, Horrible Histories, has a delightful video about fan language. If you haven’t watched Horrible Histories before, I highly recommend it. Developed for children, there are some amazing historical facts boiled down into succinct and informative facts, delivered tongue firmly in cheek. Check it out below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY3npLFwCYs]

And that’s it from me. I really enjoyed finding out about fan language, and I hope you have, too!

Cassandra

xx

Ever curious, Elizabeth, Viscountess Rocksley, has turned her curiosity to erotic pleasure. Three years a widow, she boldly employs the madam of a brothel for guidance but never had she expected her education to be conducted by a coldly handsome peer of the realm.

To the Earl of Malvern, the erotic tutelage of a skittish widow is little more than sport, however the woman he teaches is far from the mouse he expects. With her sly humor and insistent joy, Elizabeth obliterates all his expectations and he, unwillingly fascinated, can’t prevent his fall.

Each more intrigued than they are willing to admit, Elizabeth and Malvern embark upon a tutelage that will challenge them, change them, come to mean everything to them…until a heartbreaking betrayal threatens to tear them apart forever.

Available NOW

Decadent Publishing

Amazon: AU | UK | UK

ARe | Smashwords | B&N

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 

Wills, Estates and The Silk Series

Silk & Scandal available HERE

Hi peeps! 

The third book in The Silk Series continues to kick my behind as I struggle to get Gwen and Edward’s story down, but the second book is done, dusted and in edits so I thought I’d chat a bit about Silk & Scorn, Book 2 of The Silk Series.

Silk & Scorn is the tale of Sarah Wetherall and Arthur Davenport, childhood enemies who find themselves thrown together as adults when Sarah requires Arthur’s legal expertise. The family of Sarah’s late husband is challenging her right to his estate, even though Sarah’s husband died without writing a Will which, due to succession law, means Sarah as his wife inherits everything. However, her husband’s father is furious at this determination and bull-headedly fights for what he perceives to be his rightful inheritance. At her wits’ end, Sarah seeks the help of Arthur, who is a solicitor specializing in matters pertaining to Wills and Estates, and then, the sparks fly…

So…wow. That’s a bit of legalese right there. Luckily, The Day Job actually deals with these matters so I pestered the Estate Planning lawyer in my office with questions about the whole situation. As Australian Law is based upon and aligns closely with English Law, it was a cinch. Also, luckily, not much has changed in 200-odd years and so what is true today was true in Sarah and Arthur’s time (Early Victorian, for those playing at home). It made researching a bit easier to be able to talk to an expert, let me tell you!

As The Silk Series features people involved in lawyerish-type things, it’s going to be invaluable to have a lawyer available for my questions. Yay for Day Jobs!

Thanks for hanging with me, peeps.

Cassandra Dean 

THE SILK SERIES, BOOK 1

Eight years ago…
Thomas Cartwright and Lady Nicola Fitzgibbons were 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. Mired in his studies of the law and aware of the need for circumspection, Thomas feels forced to sever their ties.

But now Lady Nicola is back…and she won’t let him ignore her. 

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