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Cover Reveal! Invincible Dreams: Denise Devine

Boxed set: Invincible Dreams
Participating Authors:
Tamara Ferguson
Jen Talty
Denise Devine
Natalie Ann
Stacy Eaton
Nancy Radke
Jennifer St. Giles
Suzanne Jenkins

INVINCIBLE DREAMS – 99 cents on Kindle and available on KU. Pre-order now!

EIGHT STORIES (3 new) From USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Authors!

Freedom has a price, and sometimes the past and present collide. Our heroines are determined to reach the goals they’ve set for themselves and fight for their dreams to come true. It might require them to start over, forge a new path, or even change directions along the way. Sometimes they might get more than they’ve bargained for…

RESTORATION (New): Tamara Ferguson, USA Today Bestselling Author
AFTER THE FIRE (New): Jen Talty, USA Today Bestselling Author
GUARDING THE BOOTLEGGER’S WIDOW (New): Denise Devine, USA Today Bestselling Author
ALL THE WAY: Natalie Ann, USA Today Bestselling Author
YOU’RE NOT ALONE: Stacy Eaton, USA Today Bestselling Author
THE SUNNIEST GAL FROM TENNESSEE: Nancy Radke, USA Today Bestselling Author
THE MISTRESS OF TREVELYAN: Jennifer St. Giles, USA Today Bestselling Author
FRIENDS TO LOVERS: Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today Bestselling Author

Blurb for Denise Devine’s story, Guarding the Bootlegger’s Widow:

It’s 1926 in St. Paul, Minnesota and Prohibition is in full swing. A woman can vote, work full time, show her legs in public and cut her hair but she can’t enter a speakeasy without a man by her side…

Charlotte LeDoux is struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Her late husband, Gus, has left her a lot to deal with—his sprawling business empire, his enemies and an ex-mistress who desperately needs a friend. It’s tough for a woman to compete in a man’s world and even though it’s a never-ending uphill battle, she is determined to succeed.

Char gets a new Model T and is excited when William Van Elsberg offers to give her a driving lesson. She’s attracted to the handsome private detective, who, in many ways, is the polar opposite of Gus. Will takes her out for a spin in the car and instructs her how to drive, but at the same time, teaches her how to love again. She’s never been so happy!

Meanwhile, Gus’ enemies are circling like vultures. An anonymous note threatening Char’s life forces Will to become her personal bodyguard. He’s highly qualified, but Char’s stubborn belief in her own independence makes it the most difficult job he’s ever taken. Can he keep her safe or will he lose her in the most dangerous fight of her life?

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088C3L5JD

Excerpt:
Prologue

According to the gossip on the streets of St. Paul, my late husband was a man of many secrets. One of the most widely spread stories I found intriguing, but also amusing, involved a secluded hideout where he supposedly had a wall literally lined with stacks of cash. If he did, Gus had taken this information to the grave because he’d never shared it with me.

Gus had been a bootlegger who’d made his fortune running “Minnesota 13,” the Dom Perignon of bootlegged whiskey from two Minnesota counties—Stearns and Morrison—to distributors in the Dakotas and Chicago. Ruthless and powerful, “Lucky” Gus LeDoux had earned an unfathomable amount of money and gained a notorious reputation, but made permanent enemies along the way. I always knew someday he’d die a violent death. I just never envisioned it would be by my hand.

I hadn’t planned to shoot my husband; I’d acted purely in self-defense. It did no good to dwell on it, but the memory of that horrific, life-altering day still haunted me…

Desperate to escape his life of crime, I’d run away from my husband and found refuge working as a domestic servant in the home of a private investigator. Gus eventually found out and stormed my place of work, forcing me to leave with him. As Federal agents surrounded the area, two men tried to apprehend him and he gunned them down—while I helplessly watched. My husband had a reputation for brutality, but to witness it firsthand horrified me and caused me to fear for not only my own safety, but also the well-being of my unborn child. I refused to go on and told Gus I wanted nothing more to do with him. He roared that if he couldn’t have me, no one would, and he tried to choke me.

Determined to save my baby, I grabbed his gun. We struggled. The gun went off. The memory of that deadly, piercing sound still left me numb; a stark reminder that my son, now three and a half months old, would never know his father. And I was to blame.

Only one other person saw what happened, but I knew Will Van Elsberg would never divulge my secret to anyone. To rescue me from the fray, he had lifted me in his arms and carried me to a secure place to keep me safe, proving himself to be the only true hero I’d ever known.

The events of that dark, rainy afternoon altered my life forever. As Gus’ widow, I inherited a fortune and became the sole parent to my newborn son. Though I was on my own for the first time in my life, I felt safe. I was free.

Then fate pulled me back to the dark side of Gus’ world, the most dangerous place I could be.

~*~

Author Questions:
NA; How did you come up with an idea for your book?
DD: I grew up listening to my grandmother talk about the 1920s. She was born in 1902 so she was eighteen at the time the Roaring Twenties began. She wore a flapper haircut with Marcel waves all her life and favored jewelry from the twenties. When the 20s trend started to become popular in the romance and mystery genres, I decided it was time to write my story.

NA; What sort of research did you do to write this book?
DD: The book takes place in Minnesota in the mid-twenties, so I wanted to write about Prohibition and the Roaring 20s from a local perspective. The Minnesota Historical Society had a number of really good books on the subject by local historians. Interestingly, I found that moonshiners in Minnesota made a high-grade bootlegged whiskey called “Minnesota 13” that was better quality than many of the commercial brands at the time!

NA; A fun fact about writing your book.
DD: The names of the two main characters—Charlotte Esther LeDoux and William Charles Van Elsberg are my grandparents’ names. LeDoux is Charlotte’s married name in the book (and her maiden name is Johnson). My grandmother’s correct maiden name was Charlotte Esther Smith before she married Will Van Elsberg. And if you’re wondering—the personalities of these characters are my own creation.

NA; What started you on the path to writing?
DD: As I indicated in my bio, I’ve had a passion for books since I learned to read. Little House in the Big Woods was the first book I read that I couldn’t put down. Growing up, I always thought you had to be rich and connected to publish books (got this impression from TV), but when I was thirteen, my family took a train trip out to Oregon and I found out that my cousin was writing a mystery with her friend. That gave me a new perspective on the idea and I wrote my first story in a notebook on the train on the way home. I still have that story locked away in my hope chest.

NA; What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
DD: My non-writing friends think it’s fascinating. My family is so used to it, they pretty much ignore it. One of my brothers, however, reads every book I write and is always asking when the next one will be finished. I dedicated one of my books to him.

NA; The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer.
DD: I had no idea there were so many people writing books—especially romance. I didn’t learn this until my husband showed me an article in the Sunday paper (back in the late 80s) about Romance Writers of America holding a conference in Minnesota at the Mall of America. Unfortunately, this was after the conference happened. The internet wasn’t available yet and the journalist who wrote the article didn’t give any contact information for how to join. I didn’t find a local chapter of RWA in Minnesota until 1991. I found so many new friends through that chapter that I still hang out with today.

NA; Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
DD: Yes, I do! I need to know what my main characters want, why, and what’s keeping them from it otherwise I find myself in a corner eventually and don’t know how to get out of it. I start every book the old-fashioned way with a pencil and a cheap wire-bound notebook. I start scribbling pages of notes until I get so many I have to reorganize them in a Word doc. That’s when the outline starts to take shape and I can see what’s missing. I always know the beginning and end of every story before I start plotting.

NA; What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
DD: My husband is a travel agent so you know what I like to do best! I’ve been all over the world. When I’m home I love to garden, sew, read, go to movies and have lunch with writing friends.

NA; A pet peeve.
DD: People who think writing is easy. Everybody wants to write a book but very few people have a clue what that entails. My biggest pet peeve are self-published authors who don’t research the market at all and don’t have a single clue how to market their books because they don’t bother to find out.

NA; What errand/chore do you despise the most?
DD: Making supper every night! I hate having to stop what I’m doing and figure out what to cook.

NA; Strangest place you’ve brushed your teeth?
DD: Not really strange but totally fascinating. I stayed in a hotel in Egypt that was nearly walking distance of the pyramids at Giza and it used to be the hunting lodge of a former Arab prince. The architecture absolutely blew me away.

NA; What are you working on now?
DD: I’m starting a new small-town series called West Loon Bay and book one is called Small Town Girl. Growing up, I lived in small Minnesota towns for 5 years. My husband was born and raised in a small town and his family still lives there so I have a pretty good handle on the daily life of rural Minnesota. West Loon Bay is a tourist town on Lake Tremolo (resorts, golf and fishing) so there is always a lot going on.

NA; What question didn’t we ask that you’d like to answer?
DD: What I write specifically. I write sweet books, and by “sweet” I mean no profanity or onscreen sex, but there is plenty of conflict in the relationship. I also write romance, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, historical suspense and cozy mystery. I also have one inspirational romance. I have a private group on Facebook that I host with Raine English called Happily Ever After Stories – Sweet Romance. It’s a fun group with no controversial stuff ever, but we do have fun FB parties

About the Author
Denise Devine is a USA Today bestselling author who has had a passion for books since the second grade when she discovered Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wrote her first book, a mystery, at age thirteen and has been writing ever since. She loves all animals, especially dogs, cats and horses, and they often find their way into her books.

She has written twelve books, including books in the Beach Brides Series, The Perfect Match Series and the Hawaiian Holiday Series. Her books have hit the Top 100 Bestseller list on Amazon and she has been listed on Amazon’s Top 100 Authors.

If you’d like to know more about her, visit her website at:
https://www.deniseannettedevine.com
or join her VIP list today to get the scoop on free books, new releases and lots of goodies at:
http://eepurl.com/csOJZL

Highly Recommended Award for Jan Selbourne’s The Woman Behind the Mirror!

Yay! The Coffee Pot Book Club has awarded Jan Selbourne their Highly Recommended designation for The Woman Behind the Mirror!! Such well-deserved recognition—this book is historical romance at its best!

Blurb:
Betrothed by her father to a man twice her age, Sarah Forsythe does the unthinkable—she escapes her arranged marriage and runs away with the son of a Methodist minister. Not to Gretna Green, to colonial America—the New World. For Sarah, a “new world” of broken promises, abandonment, poverty and shame. Around her, the American Revolution is quickly developing and the siege of Boston worsens by the day. As British soldiers seek out traitors and treason, a desperate Sarah breaks open a safe looking for cash. Instead, she finds a box holding Bank of England documents. Through willpower, bitter determination, and lying through her teeth, Sarah manages to make her way home to England. What she doesn’t know is that two men follow, and they will do anything to claim those documents.

Bank investigator Neil McAlister faces an almost impossible task—to determine the true owner of the documents by deciding who is lying. Most of all, as danger creeps ever closer, he needs to know who wants the secretive, beautiful Sarah dead.

Buy links for The Woman Behind the Mirror:
Amazon KU
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon AUS
Universal link

Read the full review.
If you have time for just a snippet try this, from the review posted on the Coffee Pot Book Club’s blog site:
“From an impetuous decision that would lead to disastrous consequences to a complicated and unprecedented plot to defraud the Bank of England, The Woman Behind the Mirror by Jan Selbourne is the wonderfully evocative story of one woman’s fight to stay alive in the face of adversity.

With a rich and compelling narrative, Selbourne has penned a book which is part historical fiction, part romance, part thriller, and part mystery. It is a story that captured my imagination, and it was one that was utterly enthralling. This novel commanded my attention from the opening paragraph and continued to hold it until that final full stop.

…
The Woman Behind the Mirror by Jan Selbourne is a sprawling stirring story that is unputdownable. This is the kind of book one can lose themselves in.

I Highly Recommend.” Mary Anne Yarde

A huge congratulations to Jan Selbourne!!

Excerpt:
A voice from behind made her jump. “Why aren’t you dancing?”

Sarah whirled around. “Because…” She didn’t know what to say.

“No one asked? I can barely believe it.”

Feeling stupid and awkward, she remained silent.

“Don’t tell me you can’t dance,” Neil taunted.

“Take care of your bank business and I’ll take care of my shortcomings,” she bit back.

“I can’t take care of my bank business if you won’t allow me to take the documents to London.” he said sharply.

“I told you I want a written assurance of a reward. I know and you know I will never see them again.”

Neil leaned closer. “I told you we can apply to the courts for a warrant to seize them.”

“You will seize a pile of ash.”

“You could go to prison,” Neil replied coldly.

“Really? I should have burned them in Boston to keep warm.” She shrugged. “I believe they are quite genuine, otherwise you wouldn’t be in such a fuss.”

“They must be examined properly. Forgeries are the bank’s biggest headache.”

“If they are genuine, the bank can hold them for Claude Westfield and give me an appropriate reward for bringing them safely to you.”

“You are not shy in demanding money,” Neil said caustically.

“No, I’m not. I rely on my brother for a roof over my head and it—” She broke off as her cheeks flushed. “Go and enjoy yourself and leave me alone.”

As she moved away Neil put his hand on her arm. “There is no need to be unpleasant. If they are genuine, we will discuss it further.”

“Nothing more to discuss,” Sarah’s eyes never left his. “Remove your hand.”

Neil’s face hardened. “You think you hold all the cards, madam, but rest assured, until you are more amenable, you’ll get nothing.”

“Neither will you, sir. Beneath your smooth bank exterior, you are no better than your forebears who loaned their gold at outrageous interest.”

Neil’s fingers dug into her arm. “You are no better than a street hawker yourself.”

“Get your hand off me,” Sarah’s voice rose as she wrenched her arm away. “Leave me alone!”

Neil’s expression changed from irritation to disbelief to shock. “Good God,” he breathed. “It was you.”

Meet Jan Selbourne:
Jan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen. After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring, she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales.

Author links:
Website: https://nomadauthors.com/JanSelbourne/index.html
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JanSelbourne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.selbourne
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661584.Jan_Selbourne?from_search=true
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Selbourne/e/B0184OSZ6E/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-selbourne-2817b6140/

It’s here! The Proposition by Jan Selbourne

The Proposition by Jan Selbourne Updated and with new cover art, Jan Selbourne’s The Proposition has just been re-released! If you haven’t read it, you’re missing out on some great historical fiction! Congratulations, Jan!

I read The Proposition a while ago and really enjoyed it. But when I re-read it last week..it blew me away! I don’t know how Jan does it, but I swear, you feel you’re right there with the characters. Her attention to detail is that good! Mystery, murder, mayhem, romance–it’s all here, and you can have it for yourself!

The Proposition by Jan Selbourne

Blurb:

They met on the eve of a battle. One enlisted to avoid prison, the other enlisted to avoid the money lenders. On the bloodied fields of France, Harry Connelly collapses beside the corpse of Andrew Conroy. It is a risk, a hanging offence—and his only hope for a future. Harry swaps identity discs.

Now as Andrew, he is just another face in post-war London until a letter arrives with a proposition. Accepting is out of the question, refusing pushes him into a nightmare of greed, blackmail and murder. To survive he must live this lie without a mistake. Then he falls for Lacey and her secrets. Will the truth set them free or embroil them even further in the webs of deceit that surround them?

Buy link: Amazon KU

The Proposition by Jan Selbourne

Excerpt:

“Excuse me, call of nature.” Elliott left the room.

The niggling coil of unease had been growing and now, as Andrew watched the dining room door close behind Elliot, his instincts were jabbing at him. His host had been charming and hospitable. Last night, after a delicious dinner at Browns Hotel, they’d touched on their family connection, unsure of what to say without offending the other.

Elliot had twirled his glass between his fingers. “My grandparents made a lot of money from the textile industry, my father sold seventy percent of those businesses and invested in other profitable enterprises. To put it simply, he was a very astute, successful businessman, but I’m afraid he was not a good husband and father. He cared little for us and it distresses me that he cared even less for you and your mother.”

Today, Elliot had proudly introduced him to his pride and joy, a dark grey Austin-20hp and they’d motored smoothly out of London and onto the soft Essex countryside. When they’d stopped at Thaxted’s Swan Inn for lunch, Elliot had commented, “Every spare acre in Essex has been growing vegetables, doing their bit for the war effort and rationing.”

When they continued on to Saffron Walden, he’d pointed to his left, “Railway station, a branch line from Audley End. Made a big difference to this town.” They’d stopped briefly in High Street, then through the marketplace, bumping over cobblestones to a wider road and finally stopping at the entrance of a large Victorian house. He’d been shown to his room overlooking the rear of the house with its garden rows of vegetables. Elliot had apologised again, business to attend to and please make himself at home.

Not used to the substantial meals, he’d slept until five pm. At seven pm, he’d joined Elliot in the dining room where silver serving dishes containing roast beef, baked potatoes and green vegetables sat on spirit warmers.

“Very informal this evening,” Elliot had said breezily. “I asked my daily help to prepare something easy for us, so please, help yourself.”

The only time his host’s friendliness disappeared was when the daily help tapped on the door to tell him she’d answered the phone and left the message on the phone pad.

Something was very wrong, or perhaps he was too jumpy from living on this tight rope of lies. The door opened again.

“Much more comfortable,” Elliot grinned and sat down. “More wine?”

“No thank you, I might not be able to climb the stairs, but I must thank you for another very pleasant evening.”

Elliot’s grin disappeared. “It’s time to discuss the business proposition which will give us both what we want.”

“I confess I was intrigued when I received your letter,” Andrew replied guardedly.

“You will perform a service and if that service is completed satisfactorily, I will pay you three hundred pounds and pay your outstanding debts.”

Andrew went perfectly still. “Perform a service?”

“You will impregnate the woman I married.”

The Proposition by Jan Selbourne

Jan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen. After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring, she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales.

Contact Jan:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Hurry!! The Woman Behind the Mirror–99 Cents, only for a short time!!

For the next three days (April 16-18), award-winning historical fiction writer, Jan Selbourne, is offering her newest book. The Woman Behind the Mirror for 99 cents on Amazon! That’s a real bargain for a book you’re sure to love! In fact, it’s my current favorite Jan book. 😉

You might know, Jan’s Lies of Gold won Coffee Pot Book Club’s Silver Award for 2019. With The Woman Behind the Mirror, I see more awards in her future. At any rate, that’s the future and Jan writes about history. The Woman Behind the Mirror starts in 1775 England, but quickly shifts to Boston where the American Revolution is rumbling into being. What happens to Sarah Forsythe has to be read to be believed!

Blurb

Betrothed by her father to a man twice her age, Sarah Forsythe does the unthinkable—she escapes her arranged marriage and runs away with the son of a Methodist minister. Not to Gretna Green, to colonial America—the New World. For Sarah, a “new world” of broken promises, abandonment, poverty and shame. Around her, the American Revolution is quickly developing and the siege of Boston worsens by the day. As British soldiers seek out traitors and treason, a desperate Sarah breaks open a safe looking for cash. Instead, she finds a box holding Bank of England documents. Through willpower, bitter determination, and lying through her teeth, Sarah manages to make her way home to England. What she doesn’t know is that two men follow, and they will do anything to claim those documents.

Excerpt

Legs shaking, Sarah walked downstairs to face her furious father and white-faced mother.

“I cannot believe your wilfulness, your complete lack of propriety,” her father said icily. “You deliberately encouraged”—he frowned at her mother—“what was his name?”

“David Langford.”

“You encouraged this penniless nobody behind my back, knowing I have approved and accepted Mr Gerald Whitehead’s offer of marriage.”

“Papa, Mr Whitehead is over forty years old!”

“A mature man of independent means with homes in Norfolk and London. Now sadly widowed, he needs the comfort of a wife and mother to his children.”

Sarah’s fingers clenched. “His children are almost my age.”

Her mother spoke. “Albert dear, I do think Sarah and Mr Whitehead should be given more time to become better acquainted.”

Her father pointed his finger at her mother. “I hold you responsible for giving the girl far too much freedom. I can only pray Mr Whitehead does not hear of this shameful cavorting while he’s attending to business affairs.”

“I was not cavorting with David,” Sarah said hotly. “We met at the church fair when mama presented prizes for the best puddings. We were never alone, not even when Eliza and I showed David and Freddie the country dances because the Methodists don’t approve.”

Her father’s eyes had turned slate grey, filling her with fear.

“I am sorry papa. I will do whatever you bid.” She held her breath waiting for a hand across her face or worse.

“You will not leave this house until the banns are read.” Albert Forsythe strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Her mother touched her arm. “You have made papa very angry.”

Sarah’s eyes met her mothers. “If he beats me again, I will leave, David or no David.”

“Sarah! You are under-age and cannot defy papa. You know it is his fervent wish to see you and your brothers well set up.”

“You mean Peter’s commission and Robert’s year in London will cost papa a lot of money. Mr Whitehead’s offer of marriage relieves him of more financial burden.”

Her mother’s mouth fell open. “That is a dreadful thing to say.”

“Mama, please, Mr Whitehead is ugly, and I cannot bear him near me.”

“Your father will provide a generous dowry,” her mother said quietly. “Do not defy him or we all suffer.”

“Yes mama, excuse me mama,” Sarah’s eyes blurred as she climbed the stairs again to her bedchamber. Closing the door, she sat at her dressing table and as she stared at her reflection her resolve grew. A glance at the closed door and she sharpened a quill and began to write. Signing the note S, she rang for her maid.

“Go to the Methodist manse. This letter must be handed to Mr David Langford and no one else.”

“Yes miss. I will, miss.”

Sarah put two shillings in her hand. “Not a word to anyone and you may have the rest of the day off.”

The maid blinked at half a week’s pay in her hand. “Thank you miss.”

When the door closed, Sarah’s knees turned to water. They’d talked about it, they’d held hands while declaring their love for each other, and now it was a frightening reality. She sat by the window as the minutes turned into one hour, then another hour and then her heart thudded in her chest. David, wearing a cloak and hat pulled low over his forehead rode past the front gates and placed a small sprig of leaves on the railing. He’d received her message.

Jan

Author links:

Website: https://nomadauthors.com/JanSelbourne/index.html
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JanSelbourne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.selbourne
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661584.Jan_Selbourne?from_search=true
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Selbourne/e/B0184OSZ6E/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-selbourne-2817b6140/

Regency Romance with a smile: the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society by Meredith Bond

I’m looking forward to learning more about the next three books in this great series. Here are books 4-6! Welcome, Meredith Bond and The Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society!

Meredith Bond When love is a gamble, place your bets on the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society.

The women of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society gather every Wednesday for an on-going game of whist, but while most people play cards for money, the ladies of the Wagering Whist Society play for secrets. The person with the fewest number of points at the end of a game must divulge her deepest, darkest secret. Not a word of anyone’s secret may be shared outside of the group, but that doesn’t mean that the ladies can’t offer assistance to anyone who needs it—and they all do at one point or another.

This nine-book Regency romance series, spread out over three seasons, is Duchess filled with laughter, hidden identities, private fears, adorable children, secrets, and the sweetest Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Duchess.

Each book features one of the eight members. Book number nine will feature Joshua Powell, Viscount Wickford, owner of Powell’s Club for the Refined Gentleman. Every book is a stand-alone novel with at least one central romance and a secondary second-chance romance featuring an older couple.

Love is what the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society does best. Whether it’s helping their own members or those close to them, the women of the Wagering Whist Society find that they’ve gotten quite good at helping couples arrange their cards just right.

A Trick of Mirrors
~March 22, 1807~

Beatrice Kendrick crouched on the floor of the carriage as it moved through the streets of London. It wasn’t easy to keep her balance in the moving vehicle and pull on the maid’s cloak at the same time, but somehow, she managed. She pulled up the hood covering her tell-tale red hair and ducked her head down so no one could see her face, identical to her sister’s, who was sitting and staring out the window. They moved ever closer to their aunt’s Mayfair home where they would be staying for the Season.

Bee carefully sat back on the seat next to her maid, Annie, making sure to keep her head down, so her hood wouldn’t be dislodged. They couldn’t risk anyone even getting a glimpse of her.

As planned, Bee arranged herself so she couldn’t be seen when the door to the carriage opened outside of Lord and Lady Blakemore’s home. Her sister Bel and Annie got down, making a huge fuss over the beauty of the house and the number of footmen pouring out of the house to take in all of Bel’s luggage.

The door to the coach opened again, causing Bee to hold her breath and scrunch down even farther into the tiniest ball against the side.

“Ach, ye don’t need to check inside the carriage,” Bee heard the coachman scold someone. “Miss Kendrick only had a luncheon basket in there with her, and I’ll bring it round to the kitchen meself.”

The door closed again, and Bee allowed herself to breathe. If she were caught now, their entire plan would be jeopardized. Months of arguing back and forth between her and Bel, weeks of Bee trying to convince her sister that she did, in fact, need to be there with her in London and that, no, simply relaying information by mail about the men she met would not be enough. Days of swearing to her sister that she truly had no desire to subvert Bel’s debut into society for her own ends. She was going to happily enter society on her own the following year just as their parents had planned, but there was absolutely no way that Bee was going to allow her sister, with her cavalier attitude toward rules and proper behavior when she got an idea in her head, to come to London on her own.

Bee loved her twin sister, but they could not risk Bel getting into scrapes the way she did when they went out to parties and assemblies at home. She had to find a husband this season, so Bee could be presented next year. Their parents had been very clear that they could only afford to present one girl at a time. But no amount of love could change the fact that Bel was, well, flighty and not always the best judge of character.

It had taken months for Bee to show her sister this truth and weeks for her to agree that maybe it would be best if Bee were there to actually meet the men she might consider marrying. And now the time was at hand for them to put this plan into action, and it was vital that no one knew both twins were there. Bee could not risk getting caught. God only knew if they would get this opportunity again, were she to be found now.

A Bid for Romance
~March 26, 1807~

Margaret started to return to the sitting room after seeing her sister-in-law off when she suddenly noticed the footman. She stopped. She didn’t recall ever seeing him before. She would most certainly have noticed such an Adonis.

All footmen were easy on the eyes. It was one trait which all employers looked for, although Margaret did have to admit that the duchess wasn’t especially particular in that regard. But this man… He was tall, blond, and blue-eyed, and the way he filled out his livery made it difficult for Margaret to keep her eyes above his shoulders—his very, broad shoulders. Somehow, they kept straying down his long regal neck, broad chest, narrow hips, and well-turned calves encased in white stockings.

Her eyes flew back up to his face. He’d raised an eyebrow at her inspection of him and seemed to be trying very hard not to smile. Just before her gaze met his, he quickly reverted to staring blankly over her shoulder as a good servant should. Margaret felt her face heat with embarrassment.

“Are you new?” she asked the man. “I’m sorry, but I don’t recall seeing you before.”

“Yes, my lady,” he said, in a soft baritone with a refined accent. What footman had such impeccable diction? “I started the day before yesterday, but today is my first day at the front door, er, the butler insisted. I believe he doesn’t like taking the position?”

“It’s difficult for him with his lame leg,” she explained briefly. “What is your name?” she asked because she always liked to address people by their correct names. She knew some people simply called all their footman the same name so they didn’t have to actually notice who was serving them, but Margaret thought that a horrid practice.

“James, my lady. My friends call me Jamie,” he added.

“James,” she said with a smile—she didn’t dare presume friendship. “It’s very nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy working here.”

“Thank you, my lady.” He bowed slightly and continued to stare over her shoulder.

How odd it was that Margaret wished he would look at her instead. She shook off her fancy and turned to go back upstairs.

~*~

Jamie watched Lady Margaret slowly float up the stairs, her filmy sprigged white muslin gown flowing around her. Why didn’t he have his sketchbook when he needed it? On the other hand, he didn’t know if he would be allowed to have a sketchbook while on front door duty. He’d have to ask.

But my word, she was even more beautiful up close than he’d realized.

Mr. Holton had pointed the young lady out as he had been given a tour of the house and informed of all the rules and expectations. Holton had informed them that Lady Margaret was the duchess’s charge for the season and a guest in the house. She was to be treated with the utmost respect, they’d been told, as if she were a duchess herself, which made sense since she wasn’t too far off, being the sister to one.

Seeing Lady Margaret in passing through a doorway and having her stand directly in front of him couldn’t have been more different than sketching with a pencil to using a paint brush to create a portrait. Seeing her at a distance she could have been dull, one-dimensional, but in person, face-to-face, she was vibrant, beautiful, soft and—what really surprised Jamie—kind.

An Affair of Hearts
~April 21, 1807~

Everything sparkled. The chandeliers with their crystal droplets reflected the candlelight, the gilt-edged mirrors surrounded by wall sconces echoed the light, even the guests dressed in their finest glittered, laughed, talked, and danced with brilliance. Elizabeth, Countess St. Vincent, sighed happily as she turned to her friend and hostess for this evening’s soirée. “You have done such a magnificent job this evening, Lydia,” she said. Even Lydia was looking quite sparkling this evening with her bright green eyes shining, the color picking up the pretty green embroidery edging her pale blue gown.

“Indeed, Lady Welles, you absolutely have outdone yourself.” Mrs. Aldridge, standing on Lydia’s other side, agreed.

“Thank you,” Lydia said, giving them both a bright smile. “Elizabeth, your dress this evening is lovely.”

“Oh, thank you. It is one I brought with me from the countryside, but I think it’s holding up quite well here in London,” Elizabeth said. She’d only been in town for a month, but already she had a good feeling about this season, her very first since her disastrous come-out six years ago.

She had, of course, also dressed to impress, just like everyone else. Despite the fact she was still in half-mourning for her departed husband, her gown of pale violet with deeper purple ribbons and lace was in the latest fashion, even if the décolletage was a little lower than what she normally wore. It was still quite conservative for a lady of her age and stature, but Elizabeth, with her full figure, had always gone for a more demure look. Her dark brown hair was carefully tamed into a complicated coiffure with purple ribbons woven through and a few curls allowed to rest gently over her shoulder.

“I beg your pardon, Lady St. Vincent?” a footman asked, approaching Elizabeth.

“Yes?”

“Lord St. Vincent has requested your presence in the library,” he said with a slight bow.

“Oh. Tell him I’ll be right there,” she said.

“Is everything all right, do you suppose?” Mrs. Aldridge asked with a look of concern marring her motherly countenance. She was a kind, well-respected older lady who was a member of a very exclusive club known as the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society, along with Lydia and six other prominent ladies of the ton.

Elizabeth didn’t know exactly what the ladies of the Whist Society did—they claimed they merely played cards together every Wednesday afternoon, but so far their influence seemed to be quite significant and growing. From what Elizabeth understood, they were responsible for no fewer than six prominent matches among the ton, including that of Elizabeth’s own stepson, who had just requested her presence. They also held an annual party to raise funds for the people of the Rookeries that earned a significant amount as well as being one of The Events of the season.

The ladies of the Wagering Whist Society were, in short, what just about every woman of the ton desired to be—well-respected, well-known, influential. They made a positive impact, helping those who needed it without asking for anything in return. If they had been accepting additional members, Elizabeth would have been first in line. As it was, she was proud to call its members her friends.

“I can’t imagine what St. Vincent wants. I’ll just go and find out. If you’ll excuse me?” Elizabeth gave the two ladies a nod and then went off to find the library.

Check out this collection by Meredith, too! Gotta love Regency Romance!

NEW! The Woman Behind the Mirror by Jan Selbourne

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Book: The Woman Behind the Mirror
Author: Jan Selbourne
Release date: Feb 17, 2020

Buy links: EBook Kindle Unlimited
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Price: $2.99
Pages: 360

Excerpt:
Legs shaking, Sarah walked downstairs to face her furious father and white-faced mother.