I’m so excited about the impending release of Moonstone Conspiracy – the sequel to my debut historical romance, Moonstone Obsession which was released in 2013.
Moonstone Conspiracy will be released on June 19.
I write standalone titles, but after I finished Moonstone Obsession, I knew I had someone very special in Lady Abigail Houghall. She was not the heroine — oh no, not at all — but she was such a vibrant character, she demanded her own story.
She also had a champion in my husband, who proofs and critiques all my work. He was quite adamant that Abigail be the strong, determined, beautiful and flawed heroine. That made her a delight and a challenge to write. Naturally she needed a hero to match her.
I’ll be revealing the Honourable Daniel Ridgeway’s back story a little later…
Win a copy of Moonstone Obsession!
This time of year is always special for me because one week earlier, June 12 is my late mother’s birthday – Elizabeth, whom I’m named for. She would have been 66 years old.
So in her name and in her honour… I’m doing a giveaway which will be drawn on June 19.
You can win an autographed print copy of Moonstone Obsession!
This is an international competition and I’d be delighted to have anyone enter.
Details are below the excerpt below.
Moonstone Conspiracy Excerpt
One by one, the cards of ambition and hope, so carefully laid one on top of the other, fell in a graceless heap and Lady Abigail Houghall’s future fell with them.
She had spent the evening of the masquerade ball dressed as a queen—Cleopatra, Queen of the Egyptians—waiting for the man she wanted above all others to announce their engagement. How dare he reject her now, after she had worked so hard to create a mutually profitable future for the both of them?
Marshalling the growing rage and seeking to arrest the falling sensation blooming inside her, Abigail reached out and drew her exquisitely manicured finger nails lightly beneath his handsome chin, cupping it and forcing him to look at her.
Disinterest and, worse still, pity colored the rich brown eyes of James Mitchell, sixth baronet of Penventen.
“We have a bargain,” she insisted, panic pushing the words out harshly.
James nodded. “An engagement, announced tonight,” he answered absently, taking a step away from her.“There’s something you ought to know,” he intoned hollowly. “I’m already engaged.”
No!
The falling sensation stopped abruptly and her dreams exploded like a vase dropped from a great height to a tiled floor. It seemed millions of shards caused actual physical pain with her sharp intake of breath.
Abigail resorted to the only emotion left to her—anger.
“You dog!” She anticipated the corresponding flare of ire that would at least mean something still burned between them.
“Don’t you mean ‘you bastard dog’?” James asked mildly as he placed another step’s distance between them.
Abigail blinked. He knew! How? How could he have learned the truth of his real father? “You weren’t supposed to know. Not until…”