Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!
This week I’m beginning snippets from my upcoming re-release Only A Mistress Will Do, Book 3 of the House of Pleasure series. I’ve recently gotten the rights back to this book and am eagerly awaiting republication as an indie release at the end of January. A new cover will be forthcoming in early January, so I’m using this place-holder cover until then.
NEW BLURB:
Friendless and destitute, Miss Violet Carlton has no choice but to seek work in London’s most notorious brothel, The House of Pleasure. She steels herself for her ultimate ruin at the hands of her first customer, only to be offered a reprieve in the form of a position as the gentleman’s mistress—in name only. Grateful for his benevolence, Violet agrees to the proposition and enjoys the life of a pampered courtesan—until her dashing rescuer puts her heart in jeopardy. Violet’s growing desire for the gentleman must be squashed when she discovers he belongs to another woman.
Tristan, Lord Trevor enters the House of Pleasure bent on a final night of carousing before donning the leg-shackle of marriage. To his shock, he recognizes the woman in his bed as a lady of the ton and resolves to save her from life in a brothel. After whisking her away under his protection, Tris endeavors to find her a husband, to secure her future and stem his own intense longing for the beautiful woman. With growing anguish Tris 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.
This snippet is from the very beginning of the book.
EXCERPT:
Shivering in the brisk wind cutting straight through her thin gown, Violet Carlton trudged across the small dirt-packed backyard, littered with tufts of dead grass and scattered brown and red leaves. Teeth clenched to stop their chattering, she mounted the short three steps of the back stoop, straightened her shoulders, and rapped three times on the dull gray door of the silvery clapboard house. Beyond the weathered board fence of the house next door a dog barked, but no one stirred. No prying eyes to witness her shame.
The door opened a crack, and a lad of about twelve stuck his head out. “What you doin’ ’ere this time o’ day?”
“I would like to speak with Madame Vestry, please.” Perhaps she should have waited until later in the morning. Such an establishment would obviously keep late hours. But the ache in her belly had forced her here as soon as the sun had risen.
And now to finish the scene :
“She’s still sleep. Come back later today.” He started to push the door closed but Violet rammed her boot between it and the jamb. The boy kept shoving, squeezing her foot until she winced in pain, but she gritted her teeth, put her shoulder to the door and pushed back. If she didn’t do this now, she wouldn’t have the courage, or the strength, to come back.
Only A Mistress Will Do will be available for pre-sale on Amazon later this week!
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
The House of Pleasure series
by Jenna Jaxon
I like this book! You wrote such perfectly tangled emotions in it. I wasn’t sure you could resolve things to my satisfaction! lol. But, you always do!
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Her desperation really comes through in this scene.
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Thank you, E. D. I wanted that to be the reader’s first impression of her.
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Congratulations on getting the rights back! Can’t wait to see the cover…enjoyed the snippet, very vivid details.
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Thank you, Veronica! I’m excited to see this cover too! I’ve had the picture and models picked out for about four years!
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“Upcoming re-release.” Yes, I thought this sounded familiar!
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Yep! It originally released in June 2017. I never liked the cover Kensington did for it so I’m very excited to see what Dani is going to come up with!
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Dani, eh? She’s working on a cover of mine right now.
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I can really sense her desperation in this snippet! A great story!
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Thank you, Jessica!
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Hmm – shame and pain in belly….
I shivered at the description of her cold.
Tweeted.
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Thank you, Daryl! 🙂
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Love all the books in this series! Good luck (and thank you!) bringing them back to readers.
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Thank you, Nancy! For 2021 I’m working on a spin-off series from this book with three of the female secondary characters having their own stories. Starting to plot the first one this week. 🙂
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It seems like I need a reread! Can’t wait to see the new cover reveal!
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Thank you, Sandy! Hope you enjoy it the second time around too! 🙂
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