Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 09/25/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ An Alternate Suggestion

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

 

Sorry I was AWOL last week but I was “on the road again” coming home from a signing event in southwest Virginia. Had a great time, but got home and went to bed!

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June. This will be the final week for Pride of Lyon’s. I’ll move on to another book in October (haven’t decided which one yet!).

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office. I have, however, skipped ahead a little bit. Thomas and Geoffrey are having a discussion about whether Thomas should marry Honoria or not.

EXCERPT:

“Were I given my choice, Geoffrey, I should marry for love, not status,” Thomas sighed. He’d cherished the hope of a life with a woman he could love by his side,  however, that now seemed unlikely. “That was but a fancy and I am certain I will be just as happy with Miss Quinn as with any other gently bred young lady.” God, he hoped he would. She was comely enough and had a good bit of spirit–he did like that about her. She’d stood up to Danford and given him a cracking good slap. “In any case, I will let the lady decide.” He made as if to turn back toward the ladies when Geoffrey’s grasped his shoulder again.

“What if she could marry someone else?” Geoffrey’s tone was insistent, and Thomas pivoted back to him.

And a little more for good measure…

“Are you perhaps offering yourself as potential husband instead of me, Geoffrey?” That raised Thomas’s eyebrows not a little. His friend was somewhat high in the instep, so such an offer would be completely out of character.

“Of course not.” The snort of distain was more the Geoffrey he knew. “But Mrs. Dove-Lyons could find her someone. It’s her business, don’t you remember?”

Oh, yes. Thomas was well aware of the Black Widow’s penchant for helping unsuspecting gentlemen to a bride. “I do. And I suspect that is why she asked me to come in here with Danford. She’s tried to trap me into marriage before. I was able to avoid it that time. Today’s outcome will likely be different.” The woman had played her cards well. Somehow, she’d known of his stance on honor. Known he’d not let a woman suffer the loss of her reputation when he could so easily remedy it. “She will earn her fee today.”

Geoffrey’s face had drawn down in a monstrous frown. “Only if you allow yourself to be used by her.” Biting his bottom lip, his friend cocked his head. “What if you pay the fee, but ask her to find some other gentleman in want of a wife?”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU for free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available in a boxset format on Amazon, Smashwords, and  B & N. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today! (It remains at half-price until the end of the month.)

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 09/11/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ Already Done

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

I’m taking a moment of silence as I write this post to remember and honor  both those who perished and those who rose to the heights of bravery on the morning of September 11, 2001 in New York, in Pennsylvania, in Washington, DC, and across our nation to help all Americans in one of their times of greatest need.

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office.

EXCERPT:

Thomas had assumed Danford would be violently opposed to that proposition, so he was ready when, with a maniacal cry, the earl hurled himself, hands outstretched, at Thomas’s throat. The hours spent at Jackson’s, sparring with Geoffrey and other gentlemen, had also made his reflexes quicker than a lightning strike. He threw up an arm to ward the man off, then deftly came up from below in a smooth left-handed upper cut to Danford’s right jaw.

For a moment the earl looked astounded, then he staggered backward, his eyes rolling up inside his head as he crashed to the floor.

Without hesitation, Mrs. Dove-Lyon moved to the door, and called to Demetrius, apparently waiting just outside. “Take Lord Danford to his carriage, please,” she stared meaningfully at her escort, “and make certain he is sent on his way.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The big man lifted the unconscious Danford as easily as if he were a child and carried him out.

With a nod of her veiled head, Mrs. Dove-Lyon said, “Please do go on, Lord Braeton.”

And a little more for good measure…

“My pardon, ladies.” Geoffrey spoke smoothly before Thomas could open his mouth. “I must speak with my friend before he goes any further.” He clamped his hand onto Thomas’s shoulder in a death grip. “Lord Braeton? A word?”

Well, he knew what this would be about. They had just been through it and Thomas had been adamant. But Geoffrey was stubborn, so they would need to hash it out yet again.

When Geoffrey had pulled him back into the corner, he set his lips in a thin line and finally let go Thomas’s shoulder. “Thomas, I beg of you, think before you do this.”

“As you heard, Geoffrey, it is already done. I asked her to marry me.”

“You said she could choose.” Trust his friend to remember every turn of phrase. “You didn’t ask her to marry you. It can be withdrawn without involving your honor.”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU for free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available in a boxset format on Amazon, Smashwords, and  B & N. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today! (It remains at half-price because it has only been available on Amazon the past two weeks.)

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Historical Hussies: Bathing in the Middle Ages

I’m on Historical Hussies today, continuing my inquiry into bathing through history. This month I’m talking about Bathing inthe Midle Ages:

The first thing to affirm is that yes, people did bathe during the Medieval period, using several different methods.

A lot depended on your status in life as to how often you took a bath. The lowest classes who did manual labor likely bathed the least. They would probably not have had the means or money to fetch buckets of water, heat the water, and purchase a tub and then bathe in it. Such laborers and the poorer people would have availed themselves of a dip in a pond, lake, or stream during the warmer months. Otherwise, they may have taken wash pan baths, washing as best they could during the colder month

To read on, click this link:  http://historicalhussies.blogspot.com/2022/09/bathing-in-middle-ages-by-jenna-jaxon.html

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 09/04/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ Some Other Course

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office. (I’ve taken out a couple of sentences from this week’s snippet.)

EXCERPT:

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, my lord.” Honoria’s courage seemed to be waning, as were her wits.

“It must be confusing, I’m sure.” His tone was soothing, comforting even. “But the upshot of the situation, as I understand it, is that you wish to refuse Lord Danford’s offer, if some other opportunity would present itself, is that correct?”

“Well, yes.” Of course, she’d wish for some other choice than to become Lord Danford’s mistress. His use of the word “opportunity” reminded her of Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s words when they left the parlor. Was this what she’d been talking about? “Do you know of some other course, my lord?”

And a little more for good measure…

For a moment she allowed herself to hope. “Another, more honorable choice?”

“I do, Miss Quinn.” Lord Braeton shot a frightening look at Mrs. Dove-Lyon, then relaxed his features and turned a more pleasant gaze on her. “You can choose instead to marry me.”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU for free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available in a boxset format on Amazon, Smashwords, and  B & N. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today! (It remains at half-price because it has only been available on Amazon the past two weeks.)

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Release Day Celebration: The House of Pleasure Boxset

Today I’m celebrating the release of the boxset of my House of Pleasure series!

All five novel-length romances are included:

Only Scandal Will Do

He has the woman of his dreams, but can he find a way to win her heart?

Kidnapped, displayed on the auction block of a notorious brothel, and sold to the highest bidder, Lady Katherine Fitzwilliam is furious and vows to fight her way out. Unfortunately, the rogue who bought her is way too charming and attractive to make that easy. He seduces Kat almost to the point of ruin, but she manages to escape him, although thoughts of him tend to linger long after she’s free.

Duncan, Marquess of Dalbury succumbs to temptation one night and purchases a fiery beauty whose very looks fill him with hot desire. When she insists she’s a lady, he scoffs, but is surprised when she flees before he can claim his pleasure. When he discovers she’s sister to a peer, Duncan is horrified to have compromised her. He offers marriage to scotch the scandal and gain an heir. However, the dazzling charms of the red-haired beauty, coupled with her astonishing skill with a sword, ensnares his heart and soul. If only Katarina didn’t hate him with a fury hotter than three hells…

Can he manage to turn her anger against him into a passion for him? Or will they be doomed to live together, but forever apart?

Only Marriage Will Do

What do you do when you discover you may be married to a villain?

Lady Juliet Ferrers’s response is to deny, deny, deny the marriage. Then, in desperation, she declares she’s already married to someone else–anything to make the man who abused her leave her alone. But with all her family from home, Juliet fears the villain may spirit her off to his home in France, never to be heard from again.

Until a stranger calls…

When Captain Amiable Dawson tries to pay a call on an old friend, he runs headlong into a dramatic scene complete with damsel in distress threatened by a dastardly villain. What’s a gentleman to do? Pretend to be the damsel’s husband, of course.

But the ruse won’t stop the villain for long. Unless it changes from ruse to reality.

And then Juliet is left to wonder if she’s married to one man or two?

Only A Mistress Will Do

The longest walk Miss Violet Carlton ever took was to the door of The House of Pleasure…seeking work as a courtesan.

Destitute and out of options, Violet steels herself for her ultimate ruin at the hands of some stranger…only to be whisked away as the man’s mistress—in name only. Unsure why, and not asking questions, Violet begins to trust Lord Trevor, her savior.

But when trust leads to affection, and ultimately to love, Violet’s fairy tale comes to a shattering halt.

Because the man she loves belongs to another.

With growing anguish Trevor fears he can never make Violet his own for the impediment of his coming marriage pales in comparison to the secret he must hide from her or risk her loathing him for the rest of their lives.

Only Seduction Will Do

Will a man of honor sacrifice himself for a woman’s folly…even if he doesn’t love her?

That’s the question Miss Alethea Forsythe puts to Jack, Lord Manning when she finds herself with child but without a husband and asks him to marry her.

With great misgivings, Jack agrees. He is a man of honor and Miss Forsythe’s prospects are grim should he refuse her. But Jack barely likes the woman, much less love her. So he agrees to marry her, with the stipulation that the marriage will be one of convenience only—with no intimacies between them.

Alethea should be weak with relief that she will not be ruined in the eyes of Society, except she’s been secretly in love with Lord Manning since they met.

His devastating pronouncement almost breaks her heart, but it also strengthens Alethea’s resolve: she’ll find a way to make her husband fall in love with her, no matter the cost.

Only Pleasure Will Do

Amorina Vestry’s business revolves around giving pleasure to others…so how can her life be so miserable?

Madam of the House of Pleasure for six long years, Amorina has wrested a living out the establishment by devising a variety of inventive ways to pleasure gentlemen. But behind the persona of the ruthless businesswoman, schooled in the erotic arts, lurks a very different woman with a secret she dares tell no one.

Now, in vengeance for thwarting a dastardly plan, Amorina is kidnapped and forced to commit murder to save the one person she loves unconditionally.

Unless the man she secretly yearns for can rescue her before it’s too late.

The House of Pleasure Boxset is available on Amazon and Smashwords for $4.99 through next week. After that the set price increases to $9.99.

To celebrate this release I’ll be giving away a copies of the individual books–five books, five winners. All you need to do is enter a comment below telling me why you read romance! Giveaway runs through Labor Day and winners will be announced next Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 08/28/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ “Anything Your Heart Desires”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office. (I’ve skipped ahead a few paragraphs.)

EXCERPT:

“There will be servants, clothes, jewels. Anything your heart desires.” Eyes blazing with a strange light, he kissed her hand. “I assure you, I plan to be very generous with you, if you are generous with me.”

The touch of his lips made the skin want to crawl off her bones. She bounded up, drew her hand back, and slapped him across the cheek. Whirling around, to put the chaise between them, she glanced toward the door, but Mrs. Dove-Lyon stood between her and it. Honoria wasn’t completely certain the woman would let her leave. She turned to face Danford, careful to remain out of his reach. “I don’t care what you say in London. Shout it from the rafters for all I care, I will go home and remain there, where no one will know or care what lies you have spread.”

And a little more for good measure…

“Oh, but they will know, Honoria.” Lord Danford stalked around the chaise and she scooted back until she bumped into Mrs. Dove-Lyon. “I know where your father’s parish is. And I will make certain everyone in the village knows that I have asked you to be my mistress. Knowing the village mindset, they will believe it has already happened.” He shook his head, his lips set in a rueful smile. “I somehow think neither your parents nor your neighbors will welcome such a notorious figure with open arms. In fact, the bishop might even revoke your father’s living for having raised such a depraved daughter.”

He couldn’t do this. How could he boast of ruining her and her family so thoroughly and no one come to their aid? “You are a wicked, wicked man.” She burst into tears. “You cannot do this to me.”

“I can and I will, Honoria.” He cupped her chin and drew her face up to his. “If you wish to save your family, you have no choice, my dear.”

A sudden commotion in the corner of the room, where Lord Longford and Mr. Braeton had retired, drew all their attention to the two other gentlemen. Mr. Braeton had pulled away from Lord Longford and now stalked toward them, his frown darkening his otherwise handsome face. “You do have a choice, Miss Quinn.”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU for free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available for pre-order in a boxset format on Amazon. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today! It releases on Tuesday, August 30!

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 08/21/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ “Not a Bad Offer”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office.

EXCERPT:

“Well, Miss Quinn?” Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s tone was soft, cajoling. “It’s not a bad offer, all things considered.”

Honoria turned to the woman, gazing at her astounded. Had she indeed lost her mind? Both Lord Longford and the one called Braeton had monstrous frowns on their faces, so maybe she wasn’t the only one outraged by Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s words. “It’s a scandalous offer, ma’am.” The brandy had somehow given her more backbone. “And not one I’m inclined to take.”

And a little more for good measure…

“You don’t have much of a choice, my dear.” Danford shrugged out of Braeton’s grip and straightened his shoulders. “Lady Danford won’t have you back once word of this reaches her ears. And I’ll make certain it reaches them post haste. You’ll be dismissed before the sun sets today. Then what will you do?”

Well, Honoria had already worked that out. “I’ve already considered myself no longer part of your household, my lord. I will make arrangements to travel to my parent’s home. No one will take notice of me there.”

“Except I’ll make certain they do, my dear.” Lord Danford had come to stand in front of her and she cringed, trying to make herself smaller. “Unless you accept my protection, I’ll make certain everyone knows why you left my household.” He smiled, almost kindly. “No decent person of the ton will ever speak to you or your family again.”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU for free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available for pre-order in a boxset format on Amazon. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today!

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 08/14/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ “I Meant You No Harm”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office.

EXCERPT:

“Lord Longford.” The imperious tone must have moved the gentleman, for presently he urged a small cut-glass tumbler with a healthy tot of spirits into her hand. Honoria wrinkled her nose at the sharp smell.

“Honoria.”

She cringed at the urgency of Lord Danford’s voice as he spoke her name.

“Honoria, you must believe me I meant you no harm. If you had heard me out in the carriage, heard my plan for us to be together, we would not be here.”

If she could have sunk through the floor Honoria would have gladly done so. All the way to Timbuktu. The glass of brandy trembled in her hand.

And a little more for good measure…

“Danford, my God, man. Have you no shame?” This new voice, sharp with censure and clearly outraged, brought Honoria’s head up. The blond gentleman’s face was twisted with disgust as he glared at Lord Danford.

The earl looked astounded at the man. “I would not play her false, Braeton. As I told you, I meant to set her up with a house, carriage, jewels.” He turned eager eyes on Honoria. “Anything you wish, my dear, I will give you and gladly. All you need do is agree to be mine.”

Without another thought, Honoria tossed the brandy down her throat, then choked as the sharp spirits hit their mark. She coughed and coughed until Mrs. Dove-Lyon pounded her on the back, bringing tears to her eyes. Might as well cry. Her life hung around her in ruins.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU fpr free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available for pre-order in a boxset format on Amazon. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today!

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 08/08/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ “What is He Doing Here?”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m going back to snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’ve skipped ahead a few chapters, to the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office.

EXCERPT:

“This way, Miss Quinn.”

Afraid to disobey, Honoria continued into the room, furnished with expensive chairs, a comfortable looking chaise longue, and an over large wooden desk, piles of papers neatly stacked all over it. Now what did Mrs.— Honoria stopped dead, all the air rushing out of her lungs at the sight of Lord Danford standing before the fireplace.

“Honoria!” The earl all but leaped toward her, prevented, thank God, by the efforts of a taller, blond-haired gentleman, who grabbed his arm and tugged him backward. A second gentleman, with dark hair and a huskier build, moved to Lord Danford’s other arm and grasped it in a strong grip. Once more able to breathe, Honoria turned to Mrs. Dove-Lyon, outrage bubbling up. “What is he doing here? He cannot be the opportunity you spoke of?”

“No, my dear, he is not,” she whispered.

And a little more for good measure…

The woman turned toward the earl and stretched out her arm, her finger pointing directly at him. “However, Lord Danford has made the unfortunate mistake of announcing to all my patrons within shouting distance, that he was searching for you. Worse, he called out for you by name, several times.”

The sinking sensation in the pit of Honoria’s stomach might have been due to the wine, but more likely to the horrible realization that now a great many people suspected Lord Danford was trying to debauch her. It didn’t matter that nothing had happened between her and the earl. In the eyes of the hearers, it was a fait accompli. Her knees buckled and she clutched the back of the brightly flowered chaise.

“Please have a seat, Miss Quinn. Lord Longford,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon shifted toward the dark-haired gentleman, “although you were not originally invited to this meeting, you may make yourself useful and pour Miss Quinn a brandy.”

“No, I’ll be fine.”  Honoria put her head in her hands. In her current state, more spirits might make an end to her.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU fpr free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available for pre-order in a boxset format on Amazon. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today!

Historical Hussies: Bathtubs in Regency England

I’m on Historical Hussies today, talking about Bathtubs in Regency England:

At the end of the 18^th century, attitudes toward bathing began to change. Beau Brummel, a Regency fashion plate, was an advocate of bathing often and he was a major Regency “influencer.” About that same time, in 1791, John Wesley gave a sermon “On Dress” in which he made the acclamation, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” People took these and other ideas on cleanliness into consideration, making the Regency period of transitioning into good bathing habits.

To read on, click this link:  http://historicalhussies.blogspot.com/2022/08/bathtubs-in-regency-england-by-jenna.html