By Mary Jo
In June, I blogged about the cover evolution of my book Petals in the Storm, from its first appearance as a Signet Regency titled The Controversial Countess to the most recent incarnation. Here's the link if you'd like to see the cover changes over the years
Petals is my only book with a first scene that was the last scene of the previous book, only told from this hero's point of view while in The Bargain, we watched the action through other eyes. It was that last scene that made me interested enough in Rafe Whitbourne, the Duke of Candover, to want to write a book about him. I virtually never write dukes; generally it's only when I want a male character who is at the top of Britain's aristocratic pecking order--and pays the price for it.
Petals is a second chance at love book. Rafe and Margot had fallen in love and become betrothed when they were very young--and the relationship had exploded, mostly but not entirely Rafe's fault. Now, during the post-Waterloo Paris Peace Conference, Rafe and Margot must work together to prevent a new cataclysm--and in the process, come to terms with the past. (Yes, Rafe must grovel. It's good for him. <G>)
A brief excerpt:
Rafe Whitbourne, the elegant, sardonic Duke of Candover, has been sent to Paris during the peace conference that followed Waterloo in 1815. Europe is a tinderbox, and the British government wants Rafe to contact a valuable spy—the Hungarian Countess Janos. A junior British embassy official has escorted Rafe to meet the lady.
They left the ballroom and went up a stairway to a door-lined corridor. Stopping outside the last door, Anderson said, “The countess is waiting for you, your grace. ”
“Do you know the lady?”
“I have met her. ”
“What is she like? ”
Anderson hesitated, then shook his head. “I’ll let you discover that for yourself.” Opening the door, he said formally, “Your grace, may I present Magda, the Countess Janos.” After a respectful bow, he left.
A single branch of candles cast a soft glow over the small, richly furnished room. Rafe’s gaze went immediately to the shadowed figure standing by the window. Even though her back was turned to him, he would have known that she was beautiful by the confidence in her graceful carriage.
As he closed the door, she turned to face him with a slow, provocative movement that caused the candlelight to slide tantalizingly over the curves of her lush figure. A feathered fan concealed most of her face, and one wheat gold curl fell charmingly over her shoulder. She radiated sensuality, and Rafe understood why Lucien had said that she could cloud a man’s judgment. As his body tightened in involuntary response, he had to admire how well she understood the power of suggestion.
Less subtly, her décolletage was low enough to rivet the attention of any man not yet dead. If Rafe was required to sacrifice his honor in his attempts to persuade the lady, he would do so with great pleasure. “Countess Janos, I’m the Duke of Candover. A mutual friend asked me to speak with you on a matter of some importance.”
Her eyes watched mockingly above the fan. “Indeed?” she purred, her words spiced by a Magyar accent. “Perhaps it is of importance to you and Lord Strathmore, Monsieur le Duc, but not to me.” Slowly she lowered the fan, revealing high cheekbones, then a small, straight nose. She had creamy rose-petal skin, a wide, sensual mouth... .
Rafe ’s inventory stopped, and his heart began hammering with stunned disbelief. It was said that everyone had a double somewhere in the world, and apparently he had just met Margot Ashton’s.
But the news today is that the audiobook version of Petals in the Storm is now available across a number of audio platforms! Here is a link to the Amazon page which includes a sample of Siobhan Waring's excellent narration.
Once again my distributor, Findaway Voices, has given me a number of free giveaway codes for Petals in the Storm, and I will be giving away half a dozen codes to people who leave comments between now and midnight Thursday. The codes are only good in the US, Canada, and Australia and must be used on IOS or Android devices, such as a Samsung phone or an iPod or iPad or whatever. (I asked Findaway Voices if UK residents would be eligible for these codes. I was told they're working on it, but it's complicated. Territorial issues usually are.)
For now, if you're in the US, Canada, or Australia and have an appropriate iOS or Android device , let me know in the comments if you'd like a free audiobook and maybe you'll win a copy!
In other audiobook news, Angel Rogue, Fallen Angels #4, is in the final stages of production and will be released soon. This means that the entire seven book Fallen Angels series will be available in audio.
As a fun bonus, I'm contracting with Siobhan Waring to do an audio version one of my most popular holiday novellas, The Christmas Cuckoo. The process is just getting started, but with luck it will be available before the holidays and because it's short, it should be pretty affordable.
After I finish my current book, I plan to have my web expert create an audiobook page on my website to list which of my books are available in audio (the majority), and where they're to be found. I let you know when that happens.
Until then, who would like to listen to an arrogant duke being humbled? <G>
Mary Jo