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The Cracked Slipper by Stephanie Alexander

BLURB:

When Eleanor Brice unexpectedly wins the heart of Gregory Desmarais, Crown Prince of Cartheigh, she’s sure she’s found her happily-ever-after. Unfortunately, Prince Charming has a loose grip on his temper, a looser grip on his marriage vows, and a tight grip on the bottle.

Eight years of mistreatment, isolation and clandestine book learning hardly prepare Eleanor for life at Eclatant Palace, where women are seen, not heard. According to Eleanor’s eavesdropping parrot, no one at court appreciates her unladylike tendency to voice her opinion. To make matter worse, her royal fiancé spends his last night of bachelorhood on a drunken whoring spree. Before the ink dries on her marriage proclamation Eleanor realizes that she loves her husband’s best friend, former soldier Dorian Finley.

Eleanor can’t resist Dorian’s honesty, or his unusual admiration for her intelligence, and soon both are caught in a dangerous obsession. She drowns her confusion in charitable endeavors, but the people’s love can’t protect her from her feelings. When a magical crime endangers the bond between unicorns, dragons, and the royal family, a falsely accused Eleanor must clear her own name to save her life. The road toward vindication will force a choice between hard-won security and an impossible love.

The Cracked Slipper is a book club friendly fairytale retelling in the vein of Gregory Maguire, with a dash of romance. Set in a pseudo-renaissance, corset-and-petticoats enchanted kingdom, The Cracked Slipper brings a magical twist to women’s fiction.

EXCERPT:

"He tugged at his earlobe. “I can’t, Mistress, and I would, just to get you out of this hallway, but Prince Gregory is not here.”

“Not here? What do you mean? It has to be—”

“Two in the morning.”

“Two in the morning,” she said. Something icy formed in her chest, and it wasn’t from the cold tiles beneath her feet. “I see. Well, I’ll be going.” She turned slowly.

“I’m sorry, Mistress.” The gruff voice followed her, but she didn’t want to turn around and see the sympathy on his face. She started up the steps but stopped midway.

There must be an explanation. She could not face tomorrow not knowing. She would wait and see, and it would all be revealed. Probably just some late-night meeting with his advisers, a problem that must solved before the wedding. She would wait until he returned, and then go back to bed happy.

Exhaustion caught up with her and she sat on the bottom step out of view of the guard. She wrapped her arms around her knees and in spite of the cold she nodded off. After some time, maybe ten minutes or maybe an hour, she heard voices. She sat up.

They were male voices, and some of them sounded familiar. She rocked forward on her numb toes and peered around the corner again.

She recognized Dorian first, and then Brian, Raoul, and several of Gregory’s other friends. Dorian struggled to hold someone up. Her heart sank as she recognized Gregory’s auburn hair.

He could barely stand. His legs kept buckling underneath him. Each time they crumpled he reached up with both arms. He grabbed Dorian’s neck and nearly dragged them both to the floor. The other men kept up a constant stream of harassment. She lost track of who said what, but their words rang painfully clear.

“What’s that Gregory? Those two Talessee girls where too much for you?”

“We should have quit after the redhead. She took care of him quite nicely.”

“Did you see the tits on that one?”

“Old Greg was probably seeing four of them. He was so smashed he was already falling over.”

“But his flagpole was standing up!” They all roared with laughter.

“A fine tribute to Cartheigh!”

“Tell me, Gregory, how will your sweet little maid compare with those last two?”

Gregory’s head swung up. “See, what you boys don’t realize…is I can have the sweet little maid and still bang as many whores as I see fit. Benefits of the crown.”

Eleanor could barely breathe. She head Dorian’s voice for the first time. “All right, all

right, let’s get you to bed or you’re liable to pass out on the altar.”

Gregory spoke again. “And you know, boys, little Eleanor is not quite as sweet as you may think— I’ve already had my hands on her—”

“Enough, Gregory,” Dorian said. He thrust the stuttering prince off on Brian and Raoul. He took the keys from the guard, who gazed resolutely at the wall.

“Tonight was just practice for tomorrow—”

“Enough!”Dorian exclaimed.

Eleanor couldn’t take any more. Without any further thought she stepped out into the hallway.

They all froze, a bunch of possums blinded by a woodsmen’s torch. Eleanor couldn’t speak. She simply stood there, staring at Gregory strung between Brian and Raoul like a pair of wet stockings left out to dry. Her hands clenched at her sides in tight fists. Blood roared in her ears, but her eyes were dry.

Dorian finally broke the silence.“Eleanor.”

Gregory cocked his head. “Sweetheart, how good to see you.”

His body jerked and he vomited. It covered his boots, and the sentry’s. The guard never moved. The acidic scent hit Eleanor’s nose and broke her paralysis. She fled up the steps. She heard Dorian calling after her but she didn’t stop. She brushed past her own sentry, threw the door open with both hands, closed it and drew the latch. She leaned against it. She had left her candle in the hallway, but she’d built the fire well and it still burned. She jumped at a gentle tap on the door behind her.

Dorian’s voice through the thick wood loosened the tears that had not come downstairs. “Eleanor,” he said, “please open the door. Let me explain.”

“No, go away.”

“He’s just drunk. It’s just talk among men. He didn’t mean any of it.”

“So where were you all? You weren’t out pitching lawn bolls!”

“I don’t deny it, or defend it. But Gregory loves you. He never meant to hurt you. ”

She leaned her head against the door. There was no way she could open it. “I don’t know what to believe,” she said. And then, louder, “Please go away, Dorian. Please.”

“As you wish.”

She sensed him standing on the other side, and then his footsteps moved down the hallway."

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Stephanie Alexander grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, the oldest of three children. Drawing, writing stories, and harassing her parents for a pony consumed much of her childhood. After graduating from high school in 1995 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the College of Charleston, South Carolina. She returned to Washington, DC, where she followed a long-time fascination with sociopolitical structures and women’s issues to a Master of Arts in Sociology from the American University. She spent several years as a Policy Associate at the International Center for Research on Women, a think-tank focused on women’s health and economic advancement.

Stephanie embraced full-time motherhood after the birth of the first of her three children in 2003. After six wonderful years buried in diapers and picture books she returned to her childhood passion and wrote her own fairytale. Her family put down permanent southern roots in Charleston in 2011. Stephanie is an adjunct professor of Sociology at the College of Charleston.

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http://www.amazon.com/The-Cracked-Slipper-Series-ebook/dp/B007FLG8KS/

I’m off on holiday for a couple of weeks. Hubby needs the break since he’s been working long hours. I’m going along to keep him company.

When we hit Sydney, we’re going to see The Munsters at the Capitol Theatre. I can almost hear the theme song now. A theatre visit is a real treat, and I’m looking forward to the show.

While I’m away, I have lots of books that I’m spotlighting. They’ve all appealed to me for one reason or another – the cover, the premise or the characters. I hope you’ll check them out. Some of them have giveaways. And speaking of giveaways, I’m currently doing a contest at Goodreads for a print copy of Tea For Two. Make sure you enter because I’d love to send the prize to one of my regular visitors.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Tea for Two

by Shelley Munro

Giveaway ends June 06, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

The Wanted Bride
Sylvia McDaniel

Genre: Short Contemporary

ISBN: 978-1484122204

Number of pages: 232 pages

Word Count: 60,000

Cover Artist: Kat Baldwin

Amazon BN

Book Description:

She’s a Runaway Bride

Valerie Burrows is running from a wedding, her attorney fiancé and the law. Pampered Valerie takes a bus to nowheresville, where she learns her cash and credit cards have been stolen. Left with only her designer clothes and luggage she takes on a new identity and must learn to be self-reliant. She swears off men, especially attorneys, only to find the one man who refuses a one night stand and wants a relationship.

He’s Looking For A Wife

Matt Jordan, the Colorado Crusher, is the most successful liability lawyer in the state. After the death of his brother-in-law, he realizes he’s ready to settle down with a family of his own. His only requirements are intelligent, great-looking, wants more than a hook-up and doesn’t lie. After witnessing the lies his father told his mother, he demands complete honesty. Yet Valerie Brown shows him sometimes in order to find yourself, you must become someone else. Even if that means lying.

About the Author:

Sylvia McDaniel and her very supportive husband Don, the love of her life, live in Texas with son Shane, Putz the klutzy dachshund and Ashley our shy dachshund. During the day, she works for a small insurance agency, helping clients with their commercial insurance coverage. The weekends are spent working out in the garden until the temperature climbs above ninety degrees. Currently, she’s written fourteen novels. Her novel, A Hero’s Heart, was a 1996 Golden Heart Finalist. Sylvia is the President Elect of Dallas Area Romance Authors.

www.amazon.com/author/sylviamcdaniel

www.sylviamcdaniel.com

@WriterSylvia

http://sylviamcdaniela.blogspot.com/

http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SylviaMcDanielAuthor

I’d like to welcome Tracy Lane today, author of Paranormal Properties. She’s speaking of ghostly things and happenings, and of course, a little about her latest release. Don’t forget to leave a comment and enter her contest. Over to Tracy!

I am Tracy Lane author of Paranormal Properties. The main character is Jake Weir, a 14 year old boy who realizes he can see and hear ghosts. Hauntings are most intense around children entering puberty, as kids this age are emitting immense amounts of energy. This is very true of Jake. He comes to terms with seeing ghosts even though he was a huge skeptic up until he met Frank Barrone, Dusks oldest ghost. I want to share some interesting facts about ghosts.

Most ghosts are happy, but some still cling to an emotional pain. Frank is a happy ghost, although he wants to find out who murdered him and where they buried his body.

They can make sounds that are audible. True, but Jake can hear Frank talk just like he did when he was alive. They have meaningful conversations.

Ghosts favor night due to the decrease in daytime energy use. Not true with Frank, he comes and goes all times day and night. He is not limited to night appearances.

Ghosts retain all the memories and emotions of their lives. True, Frank recounts several instances in his life with Jake.

Ghosts make friends with other ghosts from different eras. And they can also make enemies with same ghosts. You will see what I mean towards the end of the book.

If a spirit was a jerk while living, they will probably still be a jerk while a ghost. Frank has that holier than thou attitude and it comes out every once in a while. He is not a jerk though, just a bit on the pushy side.

Some alleged hauntings are actually a "residue," which is a past event that replays itself over and over. This actually happens in chapter four of my book but also has ghosts interacting with each other. This chapter was my favorite to write, I made the live world seem dead and the dead world very alive!

I hope I have taught you some things about ghosts you did not know, how they interact with our world and their own world. How some ghosts want nothing more but to be noticed by the living and acknowledged in our every day life. I also hope you enjoy my book.

Tracy Lane

Paranormal Properties
Paranormal Properties Book One

Tracy Lane

Genre: YA Paranormal

Publisher: Pants on Fire Press

ISBN: 978-0982727171

ASIN: B00BMHF6X6

Number of pages: 192

Word Count: 33,000

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/NwIoLYHHznU

Amazon Print Kindle

Book Description:

Jake Weir, while on the set of his parents ghost hunting TV show, agrees to help a ghost investigate a 61 year-old murder.

Jake Weir is not like the other kids in Dusk, North Carolina. Then again, Dusk, North Carolina is not like other cities. Known as one of the most haunted cities in America, behind Salem, Massachusetts and New Orleans, Louisiana, Dusk is ground zero for Jake’s ghost hunting parents.

The Weir family has arrived in Dusk eager to scope out some of the town’s 127 reported "paranormal properties," which just happens to be the name of their own ghost hunting show: Paranormal Properties. What Jake doesn’t know, and what his parents could never imagine, is that Jake can see ghosts! And hear them. And talk back to them! This talent comes in handy when he runs into Dusk’s oldest, most famous ghost: one Frank Barrone, a one-time lounge singer made famous by his booze-soaked ballad, "Barroom Eyes."

Frank was gunned down by a local mobster in 1951 and has been searching for his killer ever since. When he learns that Jake can see and hear him, Frank makes young Jake a deal: if Jake will help Frank find his killer, Frank will help his parents find a ghost to film for their upcoming Halloween Special on Public Access Channel #319. Jake enlists the only friend he’s made in Dusk, an overweight tomboy nicknamed "Tank," to help him track down Frank’s killer. As clues emerge and old leads heat up, Frank and Jake learn they make quite a team. But will Jake find Frank’s killer? And will Frank find a real haunted house in time for Halloween?

“Paranormal Properties is a great, family-friendly Young Adult novel about a boy who can talk to ghosts. Equal parts Scooby-Doo, CSI and the Hardy Boys, you will enjoy getting to know Jake, Frank and Tank as much as I did. Now, if only ‘Paranormal Properties’ was a real show I could watch on TV every week…” ~ Rusty Fischer, author of Zombies Don’t Cry

CONTEST: Complete the rafflecopter to go into the draw to win!

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Let’s do the hop! Check out new books to make your reading pile soar and maybe win a prize while adventuring through the hop participant’s websites. This hop is sponsored by Under the Covers and Guilty Pleasures

A few weeks ago I read an article about ways men can make their women swoon and feel special. Here are a selection:

1. Ask her to dance.

2. Put your arm around her when you introduce her to your friends and family.

3. Kiss her eyelids.

4. When she’s walking down the street, across the room or up stairs to meet you, walk toward her as soon as you see her.

5. Grasp her hand when a sexy woman walks by.

6. Mention your upcoming anniversary before she does.

7. Call her just before you get on a plane.

8. Order her coffee and make sure it’s exactly how she likes it.

9. Worship her breasts.

10. Draw her a warm bath.

11. In the middle of a conversation, tell her you love her.

12. Kiss her hand in front of your friends.

13. Notice when she’s wearing something new.

14. Make love to her and focus entirely on her needs.

Source: Men’s Health.com

Charlotte Dixon, the heroine from my recent release One Night of Misbehavior is charmed by Ashley Marlborough. He’s definitely swoon worthy. He’s rich, talented and possesses charisma by the bucket load. On top of that he’s kind. He brings her coffee and he focuses on her until she feels very special, even if she fights him every inch of the way.

He wears his scars on the outside. She keeps hers safe inside.

Charlotte Dixon ignores her stepmother’s edict and, in an act of disobedience, attends one of the social events of the year—a masquerade costume ball. Charlotte’s naughtiness escalates when she dances and smooches with a sexy mystery man. The night of anonymous passion that follows makes her yearn for a different life, but the next day she’s back to her dull routine of household management.

Advertising tycoon, Ash Marlborough is about to set a private investigator on the trail of his nameless princess when she waltzes right into his place of work. Charlotte is shocked to meet her masked man in the flesh, and even more perturbed when he asks her out on a date. Despite craving another night of sexy loving, she doesn’t have time for a man, not when she wants to reinvent herself and grasp a new, improved life with both hands. But Ash knows what he wants, and he’s determined to win the heart of his princess. Let the dance of seduction commence.

Warning: Contains a conniving stepmother, selfish stepsisters, a grandmother with fairy godmother tendencies and a sexy masked man who is willing to face them all for the love of a good woman.

Order ebook at: Smashwords| Amazon Kindle| All Romance ebooks| Barnes & Noble| Kobo|

CONTEST: Do you have a swoon worthy addition to my list? Complete the rafflecopter for a chance to win an Amazon Gift certificate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win prizes, check out the other participating blogs!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~ Grab your current read

~ Open to a random page

~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

~ BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from Ink by Amanda Sun. I’ve just started reading this paranormal young adult story, and I have to say I haven’t looked forward to reading a book this much for ages. Both the cover and blurb absolutely seduced me. Ink is due for release on 25 June 2013.

If she saw me now, the way I was pressed against the wall all spylike, she’d think I was eavesdropping, and I didn’t need rumors circulating about me. I was already a gaijin, an outsider—I didn’t need to be a weirdo, too.

Note – this is an ARC so the final text might vary.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they’ll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Pre-order from Amazon

What are you reading this week?

My cupcake course was a bit different from what I’d thought it would be. I don’t know why I thought I’d be piping icing. The lesson was with sugar paste and was lots of fun—sort of like reverting to childhood and dabbling with play dough.

These are my materials. I’ve rolled my sugar paste into pea and marble shapes ready to make my snowman.

Here are my final creations. I have a snowman, a pine tree and two roses and a leaf on the cupcake. An octopus on the biscuit. A fish that looks a bit like a tadpole and my cake pop hedgehog. You need to use your imagination with the hedgehog. The photo didn’t do it justice!

I hope to see you over at Maria’s blog.

Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday. The rules are simple.

1. Post 6 paragraphs (no more, no less) from either a WIP or a published work.
2. Open to both un-published and published authors.
3. Post the link back to Sneak Peek Sunday so that others can hop along.
4. HAVE FUN!!

My sneak peek today comes from one of my earlier Ellora’s Cave releases—Summer in the City of Sails.

A little setup – Summer is staying at her Uncle Henry’s place alone. It’s the middle of the night and two men have broken into the house. Summer does the only thing she can – she jumps out of her window and goes to the neighbor’s place for help.

Something tackled her, sending her flying. Summer landed on her back in the middle of a mattress. The air hissed from her lungs as someone pinned her in place.

“Don’t move,” a harsh voice said next to her ear. A hand moved down her arm and across her chest, freezing when it came into contact with her breast. This time, the succinct Anglo-Saxon curse didn’t raise so much as an eyebrow. The body pressing her into the bed moved, but not enough for her to draw a good lungful of air. A bedside lamp switched on. She blinked at the surge of bright light.

“You.” Nikolai glared down at her. “What the devil are you doing in my bedroom?”

Summer swallowed. His hand was warm, and she felt her nipple hardening under his touch. Humiliation at her body’s betrayal made her tense even as she savored the spike of sensation.

“Um…would you mind taking your hand off my breast?” The way her nipple was cozying into his palm—talk about a newsflash. Being this close to the man was unnerving, especially since he was the enemy. She refused to think about how good it would feel if he rearranged their bodies a fraction. Nope. She wasn’t going there.

The furrow between his brows deepened. “Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

Summer in the City of Sails is available in both e-book and print formats. Follow up books featuring Nikolai’s friends are Soldier of Fortune and Biding His Thyme

Order at: Ellora’s Cave (eBook) | Ellora’s Cave | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | Amazon Kindle | All Romance ebooks

To read more sneak peeks follow this Sneak Peek link. Sneak Peek Sunday is sponsored by Sara Walter Ellwood.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped into dice

3 cloves crushed garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 large carrots

7 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

300g split red lentils (about one cup)

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the crockpot.

2. Combine all the ingredients apart from the lemon juice and the salt in the crockpot.

3. Cover with lid and cook on high for five to six hours.

4. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.

5. Cool a little then puree either in a food processor or with a blender. Return to the crockpot and reheat.

6. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt swirled in the top and fresh bread or pita bread.

Shelley’s Notes:

1. I added some chopped leeks to my soup since I had some in the fridge.

2. This soup was really easy since I dumped everything in the crockpot and left it to cook. The final product was delicious. I’d definitely make this soup again.

What is your favorite soup to eat/make?

Most of us are time-poor these days, despite advances in technology that help us to complete tasks more quickly. In the writing world there is subtle pressure to write and publish several books each year in order to stay in front of the reader. Sometimes we feel like a hamster running on a wheel, at least I do.

We need to make a conscious effort to relax, to challenge ourselves in a way that makes us feel rested and refreshed, ready to tackle that wheel again.

Tomorrow I’m heading off on a cake decorating course. I get to learn how to decorate a cupcake. My piping skills are rudimentary, so I’m looking forward to attempting and hopefully conquering a new skill.

I’m also going to knit a pair of socks. I have a book that tells me how, and I’m hoping my socks will turn out like the pretty ones in the pictures. While I have knitting experience, I’ve never tackled socks before. An interesting assignment, and I’m hoping there won’t be any self-destruction involved!

Not only will I get time out from my normal routine, but I’ll have some interesting experience to draw on when I write my next book.

How do you refill your creative well? What hobbies and interests take you away from your normal routine?