Spider Green Mystery Series

 

               

Spider Green Series

by Norm Harris

 

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GENRE: Mystery/Thriller Legal Military

 

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BLURBS:

 

FRUIT OF THE POISONOUS TREE (Book One): 

 

A female lawyer must prove a war hero’s innocence. Navy SEALs hijack a Russian warship to stop a North Korean missile crisis.

 

“A great read with a stunning finish.” - Advocate, Narayan. “Picturing Justice,” published by the Faculty of Law, University of San Francisco.

 

Every now and again, a unique story comes our way, a story unlike any we may have read before. Such is “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree,” author Norm Harris’s first critically acclaimed mystery/thriller. The story’s focal point is Faydra “Spider” Green, a dedicated Navy lawyer who has lived her life in the shadows of a great and powerful man: her father, former President of the United States William Green. Green cannot heal the wound in his relationship with his daughter. His former power and influence curse Faydra and cause her to wonder if her accomplishments were her own doing.

 

Faydra is anxious and excited as she undertakes her first homicide investigation: the murder of a Navy SEAL. She reasons a successful investigation will provide her the opportunity to validate her sense of self-worth. Thanks to her remarkable deductive abilities, Faydra soon realizes the accused man, a Special Ops Marine war hero, may be innocent and the Navy is using her as a pawn in a complex cover-up.

 

“A sharp, crackling military thriller..., Norm Harris’s ‘Fruit of the Poisonous Tree’ offers a labyrinth of military cover-ups, surprise twists, and insider techno knowledge. Good, exciting, inventive read.” - Wendell Wellman, actor, producer, and screenwriter for Clint Eastwood’s “Firefox” and Producer of “Top Hat,” “Sail Away”, and “House in the Canyon.”

 

Meanwhile, a seasoned Navy Sea Captain, Egan Fletcher, a single parent, struggles to balance his Navy career with raising a son. When the Navy purposefully pairs him with Faydra in a meeting, the two Navy officers embark on an adrenaline-pumping adventure. It is a top-secret mission-impossible taking them around the world in an attempt to avert a catastrophic act of terrorism in the form of a biological war.

 

“Norm Harris’s book grabs the reader with its first sentence and holds the reader throughout with its fast-paced action. Dialogue is always the hardest to write, but Harris has captured the art and, with his writing, keeps the reader turning pages. His ability to heighten the intrigue keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat throughout the story. Strongly recommend the book…” - CAPT David E. Meadows, US Navy, author of numerous (15) military thrillers, such as “Sixth Fleet,” “Seawolf,” and “Tomcat.”

Set against the dramatic backdrop of Washington State’s Puget Sound and the mystique of East Asia, Fadra’s story revolves around a woman who appears to be as pure as the driven snow—yet, she is driven by an insatiable need to complete any assignment, no matter how dangerous. Along the way, she transforms into a symbol of hope, perseverance, and a woman’s ability to overcome life-threatening events.

 

“This story is complex and well crafted, and you’ll immediately invest your emotions in these vivid characters. The dialogue is some of the freshest I’ve encountered in some time…. As a reader, and as a novelist myself, and now as a fan, my hat goes off to this guy. A wonderful debut.” - Larry Brooks, critically acclaimed author of psychological thrillers (including “Darkness Bound,” “Pressure Points,” “Serpents Dance,” and others), in addition to his work as a freelance writer and writing instructor.

 

The first novel, “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree,” begins the riveting Spider Green Mystery Thriller series. If you enjoy the razor-sharp dialogue, strong-willed people, twists, and high-octane action, then “Spider” Green, the intrepid female sleuth and unpretentious hero in this taut, fast-paced adventure, will appeal to you.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Spider Green Series by Norm Harris

 

 Mystery/Thriller Legal Military

 

Fay turned and descended the ladder to the waiting boat. She dug deep into her soul to gather what courage she now carried with her to the dark and foreboding place known to all seafarers as “Davy Jones’ Locker.”

 

The frigid night air slapped her face as the small boat raced across the flat surface of the night water; sea spray soaked her face and hands. She squinted and fixed her gaze on the wall of black now standing before her. I’m going to need severe beauty salon time when I get back to civilization, she thought.

 

Shortly after, the boat arrived at the prescribed dive location. The dive team donned their facemasks and tested their gear—then, one by one, the divers rolled backward from the boat and into the water. Fay was last to leave the safety of the small boat.

 

The cold salt water stung her skin momentarily, until the thin layer of water between her skin and her wetsuit warmed to a tolerable temperature. She bobbed on the surface for a moment, then flicked on her underwater torch. Fay then slipped beneath the water’s surface and began her descent toward the bottom.

 

The wreck was ninety feet below. The Carr came to rest upright on the edge of a reef. The ship had not completely settled and was subject to shifting with each tide change. All good reasons for her to exercise extreme caution.

 

Nothing could have prepared Fay for the frightening feeling she experienced as she struggled to see and gain some sense of direction. She could tell she was sinking, but only because the luminous dial of her depth gauge so indicated. Following the eerie flickering lights of the three torches preceding her, she suppressed her fear and the feeling of claustrophobia by thinking of those people nearest to her heart.

 

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A Word From the Author

What are your plans for future books?

 

I plan to continue the Spider Green Mystery Thriller Series. I do not see an end to this series. Spider Green is a James Bond in that it is consistently the same character placed in a different stand-alone story. Recuring characters turn up in each book, as with James Bond stories. 

 

I began the first book, Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, with diversity and inclusion in mind before becoming aware of the term and its ramifications. The manuscript was written and published long before Barack Obama's time in office. The President in the first edition is Amand Ross, America's first black President. The revised second edition was published after Obama. I removed the black President declaration from the text. 

 

To continue telling stories about endearing strong-willed and inspirational characters. Diversity, inclusion, pride, and justice will be at the forefront of each story. These stories feature both males and females working as a team to accomplish a positive end game. All races in all books play heroic parts in the storylines. I will continue to address relevant topics. For example, book two, Arid Sea, begins and ends with a human trafficking theme.

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Norm Harris' first novel debuted on an Amazon bestseller list in 2002. It was a one-and-done, but now he's back with a plan to publish a couple of sequels to that first mystery/thriller of days gone by. Except for time spent in military service, he is a second-generation Seattleite (that's what they call those who dwell in the shadow of Mt. Rainier), with his legal beagle son, K-K, and five giant tropical fish. His upcoming release, Arid Sea, is the third book in what he hopes to be an award-winning Spider Green Mystery Story series.

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/780557.Norm_Harris

 

https://www.amazon.com/Norman-A.-Harris/e/B002BOH4R0

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09L56XS21/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N8QWTF5/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Q1XVRNR/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Norm Harris will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors

Today I'm continuing with my current WIP. The book is coming along pretty well, and one day I'll get ambitious and write a blurb for you, but not today. On Sunday when you finish here, you can go to www.wewriwa.blogspot to find more excerpts from a talented group of authors.

Last Week:

Everyone was waiting in the living room for Rhett and the boy to arrive. The tick tock of the old grandfather clock underscored the silence in the room and sounded abnormally loud to Alex, but that was only because nobody had anything to say. All of them were waiting for their world to change irrevocably. 

She hadn’t intended to join the family at all, but Hank and Daniel had looked so surprised when they found out that she had agreed to wait with them. Maybe she should. The boys were eager to meet Eric, but they had no idea what changes he would bring with him. How would they feel about sharing their father with another boy? She drew a deep breath when she heard Rhett’s car in the yard. She’d know soon enough.

Her heart almost beat its way out of her chest when the front door opened. A small, masculine voice asked, “Is this where you live?”

“It’s where you live too,” Rhett answered.

The door closed and Rhett saw them all gathered in the living room. His eyes went to her as they always did when he returned after a trip, but this time she refused to get up and kiss him. She couldn’t even look at him. Focusing on a wall behind Rhett and the child, she waited on the others to make introductions.

Rhett took Eric’s hand and walked him into the living room. “Eric, this is your grandfather, Judge Harry Landers, and the pretty lady beside him is your grandmother Ellen.”

The judge ruffled Eric’s hair and Ellen enveloped him in a hug. “We’re so glad to meet you, Eric,” she said with a smile. “You’ll like the Isle of Palms.”

Rhett moved Eric on. “This is Hank and Daniel, your brothers.” He used his hand to indicate who was who.

“You’re in the room next to me,” Daniel said. “I’m eight. How old are you?”

“Seven.”

“Do you like to play Minecraft?”

“Yeah, I do it all the time.”

“I’ll show you the stuff I made.”

Eric nodded. “Okay.”

Rhett and Eric had reached her now. “Eric, this is your stepmother, Alex.”

A flare of panic contorted the child’s face. Had Rhett said something bad about her to the boy? She cleared her throat. “Hello, Eric. Welcome home. It’s so nice to meet you.”

Eric mumbled something, but she didn’t catch it. 

In this week's excerpt Alex calls her lawyer.

His receptionist answered on the first ring. “Hi, this is Alex Landers. I’d like to speak to Mr. Green, please.”

“One moment.”

It seemed like less than a moment before Darren came on the line. “Hi, Alex, how are you?”

“I’m not doing too well, Darren. I want you to do something for me, but first let me tell you what’s been happening.”

She concluded her story with words she never had expected to use, not in connection with Rhett. “I want you to find out everything you can about Danielle Frost. I don’t care that she’s dead. Don’t be worried about the cost either. Just get me a history on that woman. I especially want to know if Rhett was telling me the truth, or if he’s been having an ongoing affair with her.” She bit her lip. “I guess you’d better try to find out if Rhett has made a habit of cheating on me.”

Darren sighed. “I’m sorry, Alex, sorry this happened to you. This isn’t exactly my area of expertise, but I’ll find out what you need to know. In the meantime, keep your chin up. It may not be as bad as you think.”

“Uh huh.”

The Abdication

                                                                The Abdication 

by Justin Newland

 

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GENRE: Supernatural Thriller

 

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BLURB:

 

The town of Unity sits perched on the edge of a yawning ravine where, long ago, a charisma of angels provided spiritual succour to a fledgeling human race. Then mankind was granted the gift of free will and had to find its own way, albeit with the guidance of the angels. The people’s first conscious act was to make an exodus from Unity – they built a rope bridge across the ravine and founded the town of Topeth. For a time, the union between the people of Topeth and the angels of Unity was one of mutual benefit. After that early spring advance, there had been a torrid decline in which mankind’s development resembled a crumpled, fading autumnal leaf.

 

Following the promptings of an inner voice, Tula, a young woman from the city, trudges into Topeth. Her quest is to abide with the angels and thereby discover the right and proper exercise of free will. To do that, she has to cross the bridge – and overcome her vertigo.

Topeth is in upheaval; the townsfolk blame the death of a child on dust from the nearby copper mines. The priests have convinced them that a horde of devils have thrown the angels out of Unity and now occupy the bridge, possessing anyone who trespasses on it. Then there’s the heinous Temple of Moloch!

 

The Abdication is the story of Tula’s endeavour to step upon the path of a destiny far greater than she could ever have imagined.

 

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EXCERPT

 

        The Devils’ Bridge

 

            

A narrow path snaking down the steep slope linked the town to the bridge. Fearing the guards’ return, she hurried along the winding, uneven path. It was fine for mountain goats, but with her bad ankle and her walking stick, she was nowhere near as fleet of foot as they.

 

The bridge had a quietening effect, like a warm homecoming after a long absence. Ever since she had heard about the abandoned town of Unity, she had wanted to visit the place for herself. Within touching distance, she felt a keen sense of belonging, even though she had never been near it – until now.

 

A solitary wicker lantern sat in a cradle, shedding a pale light over a crescent-shaped area covered in flagstones that had been carved out of the side of the mountain. In the middle of it were the bridge pillars and a small wooden shack.

 

The bridge itself was a slender rope structure slung across the open chasm. Narrow matting formed the bridge deck wide enough for one person to cross. At least there were hand ropes. At the Topeth end, it was attached to two thick, green-coloured pillars. Fingers of mist rose out of the ravine, obscuring the Unity end of the bridge. The structure reminded her of a long, thin hammock tied between two pairs of massive tree trunks.

 

By the bridge entrance was a large sign:

‘THE DEVILS’ BRIDGE.

DO NOT CROSS.

IGNORE THIS WARNING AT YOUR PERIL.’

 

It was true. She had heard rumours about the bridge, about how predatory devils prowled the dip in the centre of the rope bridge. It was forbidden to cross it.

A Word With the Author

 Did you always want to be an author?

No, but I’ve always loved literature, ever since reading sea stories as a young boy. Since then, I’ve read all sorts, from fiction to nonfiction, from novels to plays, from religion to philosophy and even to medicine. Always with an enquiring mind, and may the curious be ever curious. Then in 2006, I was searching for a New Year’s resolution, and decided that it was time to try something new, so I enrolled on a Creative Writing Class at Bath Spa University. I suppose I’ve never looked back since then. I guess I’d be the first to admit that I didn’t think it was going to take as long, and be as difficult, as I had imagined, but I suppose that’s true of a lot of things in life. When you are an outsider looking in, it always seems easier than when you step inside, and actually find out for real what’s involved in becoming a writer. 

Tell us about the publication of your first book.

I imagine it’s like giving birth – at once painful and exhilarating, a tragi-comedy of wonders and highlights, despair and disappointment. 

My first novel, The Genes of Isis, is a modern re-telling of the Biblical story of the Flood.  The first draft, God bless, was 180,000 words! I sent the MS (manuscript) to a professional editor, who said it was not up to scratch and needed a substantial edit.

I had spent six years on the MS, so at that point, I decided to put it in the draw, with the intention to return to it at a later date. 

For the next couple of years, I wrote two more novels set in the same world as The Genes of Isis. This honed some of my writing skills, and certainly improved my editing skills, so when I finally returned to the MS of The Genes of Isis, I was ready to prune it down to a respectable 105,000, and then published it in 2017. 

The moment you hold your first published book in your hand is worth waiting for. It’s the end of a journey, and the beginning of a new one. And long may it continue. 

Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

I write secret history thrillers. The novels in this genre are set in a real place, in a real historical period, and feature actual historical personages. But these are peppered with fictional events and fictional characters, into which is added a splash or two of the supernatural. In short, it’s history with a supernatural twist.

An American author who writes in this genre is Tim Powers. He wrote several secret history thrillers, including On Stranger Tides. He specializes in historical fantasy.

Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal is a classic example of the genre. It narrates a fictional assassination attempt on the French President, Charles de Gaulle. We know the attempt is going to fail, because history tells us that de Gaulle was never assassinated, but we don’t know how it’s going to fail. That’s the secret history thriller. Forsyth’s novel is more a literary secret history. 

What's the best part of being an author? The worst?

The best part of being an author is the time when the writing flows, when you can hear that inner voice, there are no disturbances, and when you get to the end of the day, your mind is tired, your fingers are tired, but alongside that there is an immense satisfaction. 

I also enjoy the many wonderful people I’ve had the privilege to meet along the way, the scores of people who have helped me, the hundreds who have bought and read my books, and the people who have given me a chance in whatever guise that may have been. And my friends who have without doubt guided me and who point the way forward. 

The worst part is that you are forever encountering the limits of your own skills, your own arts, your own writing crafts, and bashing away at those limits, moving them back, inch by inch, so that tomorrow, your writing may have one iota of a percent better meaning, more resonance, and greater depth. 

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a novel set in Elizabethan England. At the time, Spain was by far the richest and most powerful European nation with huge resources, a massive Empire and a colossal fleet of ships. 

But in 1588, its navy, the great Armada, was repulsed by a disorganised bunch of English renegades, pirates and buccaneers. How could that be? 

That’s my Work In Progress, a supernatural re-telling of the story of the most unlikely defeat and repulse of the Spanish Armada.  

 

Justin Newland

15^th February, 2022 

 

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Justin Newland is an author of historical fantasy and secret history thrillers - that’s history with a supernatural twist. His stories feature known events and real people from history which are re-told and examined through the lens of the supernatural. He gives author talks and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Bristol’s Thought for the Day. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. 

 

His Books

The Genes of Isis is a tale of love, destruction and ephemeral power set under the skies of Ancient Egypt. A re-telling of the Biblical story of the flood, it reveals the mystery of the genes of Isis – or genesis – of mankind. ISBN 9781789014860.

 

“The novel is creative, sophisticated, and downright brilliant! I couldn’t ask more of an Egyptian-esque book!” – Lauren, Books Beyond the Story.

 

The Old Dragon’s Head is a historical fantasy and supernatural thriller set during the Ming Dynasty and played out in the shadows the Great Wall of China. It explores the secret history of the influences that shaped the beginnings of modern times.  ISBN 9781789015829.

 

‘The author is an excellent storyteller.” – British Fantasy Society. 

 

Set during the Great Enlightenment, The Coronation reveals the secret history of the Industrial Revolution. ISBN 9781838591885.

 

“The novel explores the themes of belonging, outsiders… religion and war…  filtered through the lens of the other-worldly.” – A. Deane, Page Farer Book Blog.

 

His latest, The Abdication (July, 2021), is a suspense thriller, a journey of destiny, wisdom and self-discovery. ISBN 9781800463950.  

 

“In Topeth, Tula confronts the truth, her faith in herself, faith in a higher purpose, and ultimately, what it means to abdicate that faith.” 

V. Triola, Coast to Coast.

 

http://www.justinnewland.com/                       

 

https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/

 

https://www.instagram.com/drjustinnewland/

 

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Abdication-Justin-Newland/dp/1800463952

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Justin Newland will be awarding a Paperback copy of the book (International giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Life's Journey

                                                                 Life's Journey

by Patricia S. Gibbons

 

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GENRE:   FICTION / Biographical

 

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BLURB:

 

Penelope, aged 9, and her family emigrate from the UK to Australia. This book covers her journey onboard the ship and her family's friendship with a Greek family. This friendship continues in Australia throughout their life's journey.

The book includes the life effects of being interfered with as a child, and the ups and downs of adopting children. Along the way there is mystery, murder, love and disappointment.

Patricia Gibbons keeps you intrigued and in wonder of what is to come.

An exciting read!

 

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EXCERPT

 

September 19th, 1951, was my ninth birthday. The P&O Liner Ranchi pulled away from Tilbury Docks in the United Kingdom, bound for an unknown future in Australia, its engines roaring through the water, drowning out the singing from our friends and family gathered at the dock to bid us farewell. I could hear them singing and attempting to harmonise their favourite Vera Lynn war tune, ‘We’ll meet again’ as well as ‘Good night, Irene.’ The sights and sounds will stay in my memory forever.

 

My name is Penelope (the family calls me Penny), and the immigration of the family to Australia was a sad day for me, but a day of excitement and wonder for my mother Ada and my two sisters, Shirley, who was sixteen, Kate, fourteen, and my elder brother John, who was eighteen.

 

Dad had made the journey to Australia two years before, and mum longed to see him again on our arrival in Melbourne, Victoria. It was not long before this when Dad returned to the United Kingdom from the war. The family had been evacuated from our house in London when the Germans bombed it. We had so many unpleasant memories of the bombings in London, the air raid shelters, the Germans bombing our school, and finally having to evacuate to the country. After the war, when Dad arrived home, he decided there was a better life for us all in Australia.

 

Being in the Royal Air Force, it was not a difficult thing for Dad to ask for a transfer to The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and make the trip to Australia to set up house for us all in this new land. Dad had met several Australians while fighting in the war, and he grew to like their sense of fun and their outlook on life. They painted a picture of Australia in Dad’s mind as a land of opportunity, a great place to start a new life. As a number of his mates were stationed at the Point Cook Air Force base in Melbourne, he applied to be posted there, and it was granted. So on September 19th, 1951, we were on our way.

 

The trip to Australia took six weeks. We travelled through the Suez Canal, and it was an adventure for all the family. The giant liner was a huge playground for us. There were immigrants from the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, and other countries on board, and one of the Greek families – The Papadopoulos family – became good friends with us all. They had three sons and a daughter. The boys were Sebastian, ten, who became my first boyfriend; Alex, who was just the right age at eighteen to be a friend for John; Theo, a good looking dark haired typical Greek boy of seventeen years, who was to become Shirley’s onboard romance, and last but not least, was a fifteen-year-old girl called Mia who was the right age as a friend for Kate who was very outspoken, Mia was quite shy and Kate bossed her around. It seemed to work out fine between them, and they became inseparable.

A Word With the Author

1.Did you always want to be an author?

 

No, I wrote my first book “The Rottweiler in Australia” - the first 20 years.  As a Rottweiler breeder, exhibitor and judge, I realised there were no books written about the Rottweiler in Australia and set about rectifying that.

 

I did enjoy writing that book, but have always felt I would like to write a novel.      So Covid came with lockdown, and gave me time to sit and write.

2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.

 

As I said the publication of my first book “The Rottweiler in Australia” was primarily to give back some of my knowledge to the Rottweiler owners of Australia. When I visited the USA to judge, I was honoured when the Club set up a book signing tent for me at the show. There was quite a lineup of Rottweiler enthusiasts and lots of conversation about the Rottweiler in Australia on that day.

3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

 

I have a library full of Patricia Cornwells books, I do enjoy her writing and characters that follow through from book to book.

4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?

 

 I think the best part of being an author is the sense of achievement. The knowledge that you have actually set about and finished a goal in your life.  I guess the worst part is yet to show its ugly head.

5.What are you working on now?

 

 I am half way through my second life’s journey. As my life progresses through my interests being Homoeopathy, Rottweilers, dogs in general, and now into racehorses, there are still lots of stories of interest to tell. 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Patricia writes under the fictitious name of Patricia Gibbons. She has lived a busy life and some of her adventures are in her new novel, Life’s Journey, but not all:

 

In her teenage years singing and dancing were also one of Patricia’s loves and she appeared in a number of stage performances.

 

Patricia successfully bred Rottweilers for 42 years, and wrote her first book The Rottweiler In Australia about the first 20 years. She published this book back in the mid-1980’s. After becoming an All Breeds Dog Judge, Patricia judged Championship Dog Shows all over Australia, and she travelled overseas to judge in the UK, USA, New Zealand, Malaya, the Philippines and China.

 

Patricia has a Diploma in Classical Homeopathy and Bach Flower Remedies.

 

Connect with Patricia Gibbons

 

WEBSITE https://patriciagibbonsauthor.com/

 

GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59516112-life-s-journey

 

Get your copy of Life's Journey           

 

AMAZON.COM https://amazon.com/dp/0228863643

 

AMAZON.CA https://amazon.ca/dp/0228863643

 

BOOKTOPIA https://www.booktopia.com.au/life-s-journey-patricia-s-gibbons/book/9780228863649.html

 

INDIGO CHAPTERS https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/lifes-journey/9780228863663-item.html

 

BARNES & NOBLE https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lifes-journey-patricia-s-gibbons/1140432238

 

BOOK DEPOSITORY https://www.bookdepository.com/Lifes-Journey-Patricia-S-Gibbons/9780228863649

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Patricia S. Gibbons Fischer will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Very Modern Marriage

 

A Very Modern Marriage

by Rachel Brimble

 

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GENRE: Historical romance

 

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BLURB:

 

He needs a wife...

Manchester industrialist William Rose was a poor lad from the slums who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but in order to achieve his greatest ambitions he must become the epitome of Victorian respectability: a family man.

 

She has a plan...

But the only woman who's caught his eye is sophisticated beauty Octavia Marshall, one of the notorious ladies of Carson Street. Though she was once born to great wealth and privilege, she's hardly respectable, but she's determined to invest her hard-earned fortune in Mr Rose's mills and forge a new life as an entirely proper businesswoman.

 

They strike a deal that promises them both what they desire the most, but William's a fool if he thinks Octavia will be a conventional married woman, and she's very much mistaken if she thinks the lives they once led won't follow them wherever they go.

 

In the third instalment of Rachel Brimble's exciting Victorian saga series, The Ladies of Carson Street will open the doors on a thoroughly modern marriage – and William is about to get a lot more than he bargained for...

 

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EXCERPT

 

Louisa and Jacob’s conversation dimmed as Mr Rose slowly turned his gaze to Octavia. She barely resisted the urge to flinch. His eyes were as dark as his hair, their gaze so intense it was as though he looked to read her thoughts, desires and dreams. The notion was bizarrely unnerving, intoxicating and a frisson of trepidation – or maybe shameful anticipation – shivered through her. Suddenly it didn’t seem such a bad idea to allow Mr Rose’s unexpected visit to play out. Yet, impromptu admittance was not the Carson Street way…

 

As Louisa and Jacob seemed too imbedded in debate to address Mr Rose and his companions, Octavia raised her chin and held Mr Rose’s unwavering stare. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Rose, but it’s house policy that no girl spends time alone with a man we do not know. Therefore, I kindly ask that you leave for the time being. However, if you wish—’

 

‘Now, now, Octavia,’ Louisa said firmly as she brushed past her. ‘I don’t think it’s necessary to toss Mr Rose so unceremoniously out of our establishment on such a cold and dreary night, do you?’

 

‘Louisa…’ Octavia looked pointedly at her friend, her eyebrows raised. ‘Jacob is right. Mr Fairham should not have taken it upon himself to offer his friend’s unkept appointment to Mr Rose. Therefore, Mr Rose should leave.’

 

Octavia faced Mr Rose and, once again, fought the urge to flinch when she found herself the object of his intense study a second time. She pulled back her shoulders. He had better think again if he thought for one minute she might be intimidated by him.

A Word With the Author

1.Did you always want to be an author?

 

My passion for writing was stirred awake when I was about 8 or 9 and discovered Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven series. I absolutely loved these books and they inspired me to start writing short stories which I would bind with ribbon – I really wish I had kept them!

But then real life got in the way and my dream fell to the wayside until my youngest daughter started school in 2005 and I had a ‘now or never’ moment. Two years later, my first novel was published by The Wild Rose Press, and I’ve had at least one book a year published ever since.

2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.

See above! Searching For Sophie was my first attempt at a novel and I eagerly submitted to agents but after about a dozen rejections, one of my writer friends suggested I try US publisher, The Wild Rose Press. The rest is history!

 

3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

 

Ha! I wouldn’t say I am my own favorite author – there are far too many authors I admire in my genre 😊 My current favorites in historical romance are Julia London and Julia Quinn who write fabulous stories and fabulous characters with an abundance of wonderful humor throughout. Just brilliant!

4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?

Hmm, this is a difficult question…

I think the best part is seeing your cover for the first time (if you like it, of course!) and then holding the physical book for the first time. That never gets old, EVER!

The worst part for me is the plotting – A Very Modern Marriage is my 28^th novel and I still struggle with plotting. It’s all well and good having that initial idea, but it’s stretching it to 90,000 words that presents a problem! Somehow, I manage to work through it every time and when my editor reads it he or she is there to cheer me on with any tweaks.

 

5.What are you working on now?

 

I am hoping to soon receive a contract for the first in what I hope will be a series set in past British Royal courts – If my plans play out as I hope, this series will run to five books ending with the court of King George VI. I can’t say much more than that at the moment, I’m afraid…

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 25 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).

 

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world. 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Rachel Brimble will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway