Thanks so much for having me back on your blog! I’m excited to announce the release of my newest book MISFORTUNE’S LADY which is the third story in my Scandal in Surrey series. It’s a m/f/m ménage set in the Regency time period.

Originally, when I set about creating the Scandal in Surrey series, I had no idea there’d be a ménage scenario involved. The overriding theme that connects the books is acceptance in an oftentimes unyielding Society coupled with the heat (literal and figurative) of scandal. These stories are erotic in nature, so please be advised. Unveiling a threesome is pretty scandalous.

The idea came together one afternoon when I was goofing around, brainstorming a flirty scene with a friend. It wasn’t necessarily for this book. In fact, I didn’t have a plot or characters in place for this story yet, but the gist of it was: how about a sexy scene on an outdoor terrace where the men are pursuing the woman with a very determined manner? So, I set out to type said scene. There were no character names except guy 1 and 2. I did have the heroine’s name at that time. The funny thing was, once that scene came together after the crazy brainstorming session, it kickstarted the whole book.

I hope you enjoy it!

Amazon |  Smashwords |  ARe 

Blurb: She wants a slower pace… Miranda Ellis Mason Craythorne is three times a widow. Some say bad luck has dogged her steps; she rather thinks it’s just life, yet the rumors sting. She’s long left her wild youth behind and now lives at her country estate, content to play matchmaker. Seeing John sets fire to the tendre she’s carried for him and causes her to rethink remaining in widowhood even though avoiding matrimony is for his own good.

He wants to settle down… Mr. John Goddard has admired Miranda from afar for years, but their timing has never been right. As a Bow Street Runner-turned-private investigator, he knows mortality has an expiration date. What better woman to start a family with than the one he’s held a torch for? But his penchant for the occasional ménage might sour the plans.

He wants the next exciting game… Richard Howick, who is rarely on home soil, is a spy who wants nothing more than the next adventure. He’s giving life a merry chase and has no plans to domesticate. He’s too much of a rake not to take pleasure when it’s offered, and the opportunity to play the occasional third thrills him.

Life presents an unorthodox chance…While rumors abound and scandal nips at their heels, between the three, desire explodes. If their luck holds, they might just find love in the mix.

Excerpt (Steamy rating):

“Ah.” Her pulse tripped into double time. Mr. Howick had no business being so mysterious or attractive, yet she couldn’t resist engaging him in conversation. “Mrs. Miranda Ellis Mason Craythorne.” Thinner than John, but equally masculine, he sported short, light brown hair and a completely different build. Whereas John had a good three inches of height, the other man seemed leaner, as if he were constantly in motion and used to moving quickly. “Thank you for responding to my invitation.” She dismissed explaining the real reason for her invite. No, Mr. Howick was not a candidate for Annabelle.

Richard grinned and stroked a forefinger along the thin mustache clinging to his upper lip. “I have no doubt we will grow close as the days go by.” He threw a glance to John then focused his gaze on Miranda. “Is there a reason you’ve been widowed three times or are you truly a victim of luck?”

She eyed the men warily.  “Does it matter?” Logic and self-preservation dictated she lead them both into the house and among the other guests, yet curiosity demanded she let the scene play out. Why did they both seem on the prowl?

“It does.”  John closed the distance between them. He slid an arm around her waist and drew her against his chest.  “Perhaps the legality of it all dooms your relationships. Perhaps luck will only favor you if you take a lover.”

Miranda had scarcely drawn a harried breath before Richard came behind her, his hands warm on her hips, effectively holding her between their two hard, male bodies. “Perhaps you need two men to head off any more misfortune because, after all, two of anything is always better than one.”

Dear heavens, what have I fallen into? She stared into John’s face. The crisp, clean scent of his shaving soap sent threads of need between her thighs, yet the spicier aroma that clung to Richard teased her senses and put her in mind of sumptuous bedrooms in the Middle East. “That largely depends on the viewpoint.  If an antelope is tracked by two lions, that’s not good for the antelope.” Which is exactly what I feel like. Gentle rain seeped into her gown but did nothing to cool her overheated skin. If she stood outside much longer, the resulting mess would be talked about with more enthusiasm than if she’d dampened her petticoats.

“Does the antelope wish to be caught?” Richard whispered into her ear.

She fought a shiver. In the men’s loose embraces, waves of need crashed over her. “I can ill-afford scandal, gentlemen. Perhaps we should join the party.”

John’s smoky chuckle caressed her. “It’s only a scandal if we’re caught.”

“I’ve left that life behind.” They had to understand she wasn’t gossip’s consort any longer. She enjoyed her staid life too much to damage it by a careless and dangerous flirtation.

He tucked the escaped curl behind her ear and his fingers lingered on her cheek. “Will you vanish into obscurity then? Give your vitality to the flora and fauna here?” John tsked. “That isn’t the Miranda I used to know, the woman I lusted after.”

“People mature.” She couldn’t help the tremble gliding through her body. Oh, how she’d missed a man’s touch, if nothing else but to be reminded she was still young and alive. “There’s nothing wrong with my life.”

Richard pulled her backside flush against his front. “Except your bed is lonely and cold.”

Oh, God, what would it be like to have them both in her bed? At one time she’d dreamed of having John’s affections, but to know both of these men in carnal ways? A shiver shook her. She banished the inconvenient thought. I want only to rusticate. Yet her body continued to betray her. Her nipples tightened into buds that fairly screamed to be touched. “That is not something I wish to discuss—with either of you.” She couldn’t tell John that at times she cried from needing a man’s presence, for no other reason than to be held in the wee hours of the night.

“Are you quite certain of that?” Richard’s breath warmed her skin and the touch of his lips at her nape seared her.

“I…”  Any moment now, Annabelle would come looking for her. What would her cousin think? A smidgeon of guilt assailed her. Who was she to enjoy the attention of two men when she’d asked them here to catch Annabelle’s eye? Thoughts continued to whirl. Or worse, what would happen if she were found in such a scandalous tangle by Lady Underhill? “If we linger on this terrace, all three of us will have the devil to pay.”  Decadent, wicked heat chased through her insides and culminated between her thighs. It had been so long since she’d known a man’s touch at her sex. How naughty to even contemplate having them both in her bed, but how could she choose between them as they seemed to come as a matched pair?

Regardless of what her body wanted, she firmly shoved away the delicious thoughts. I am not that woman. I do not need to revisit scandal.

John’s eyes twinkled. He ran the pad of his thumb along her lower lip. “Then, by all means, let us adjourn to somewhere more private.”

“And close,” Richard added while brushing his fingers along the side of her neck. “It would be vastly more superior to sipping lemonade and making dull conversation with those chits I glimpsed on my way in.”

The words snapped Miranda out of the fog she’d fallen into. She broke from their combined embrace and backed away. Her chest heaved with the effort of remaining calm. Both men seemed inordinately interested in her bosom. “Gentlemen, I thank you for the interesting introduction, but I really must dash. I have guests waiting, and if my good luck holds, a business venture to embark upon.”

John pinned her with a gaze that smoldered with enough heat to set her skirts on fire. “Our conversation isn’t over.”

She gained an open doorway and stumbled over the threshold. It was clear they wouldn’t be put off so easily. “If you wish to talk with me, call tomorrow for tea.”

You can find this book on all digital book outlets. (At the time of creating this blog post, the book hadn’t been released yet)

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Contest information:

One lucky random commenter will win a copy of Scandalously Independent (which contains the first two Scandal in Surrey series—Lady Parker’s Grand Affair and The Bride’s Gambit) Said winner can either have it in paperback form or digital format.

So, answer this question: If you enjoy Regency stories, what is one of your favorite story lines? Please remember to leave your contact information. Contest will be open for a week.

*****Please make sure you leave your email address too!!!!!*****

Giveaway ends 6/18 midnight