Set on a transatlantic cruise liner, this short, sweet novella tells the story of respectable English widow Jenny, whose careful life is turned upside down when she gets stuck in an elevator with a suave Prohibition gangster.

Prohibited Passion is available from Amazon and Amazon UK.

I am so excited about this story and had such fun writing it that I really want to shout from the rooftops “Buy my book!”

What happens in Vegas…
Waking up to the bright lights of Vegas in an unfamiliar penthouse suite, cocktail waitress Phoenix Montgomery finds she’s covered from head to foot in gold glitter and not alone – aside from the empty bottle of champagne, there’s a mystery man in the shower and a huge sparkly ring on her finger!

Stays in Vegas?
There’s no denying Max Waldburg’s demi-god sex appeal but commitment-phobic Phoenix doesn’t do relationships. Only it seems her new husband (agh!) has other ideas…he’s trying to keep that ring on her finger and his wife firmly back in his bed. The only question on her lips is – why? Or maybe, why not?

Available now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks.

* * *

“It’s a raid!” someone yelled.

The music crashed to a stop, and suddenly people were everywhere, running in all directions and shoving around her.

Colin grabbed her hand and pulled her across the dance floor, to the back of the club behind the podium.

“My stole!” she cried, but the din swallowed her voice.

Then she saw a door that hadn’t been there before, where a concealed panel had slid open in the back wall. Jenny followed Colin through the door, hanging onto his hand so as not to get separated from him in the push of the crowd. Casting one last look back at the club, its dazzling lights still shimmering off every surface, she saw that the waiters had begun to hammer wall panels over the bar, concealing the liquor behind a fake façade. Then she was borne away down another long, dingy corridor and out into the cool, crisp air of an unlit alley at the back of the building.

They followed the crowd into a side street. The wails of police sirens at the front of the building was louder here. She drew a shaky breath of relief, adrenalin coursing through her and making her blood pump and her head clear. And that was when she remembered Tom. Where was he? Had he got out in time? Or had the police found him?

Surely as the owner of the night club, he could not hope to escape unscathed?

“This way.” Colin tucked her arm through his and they headed away from the club at a brisk pace, towards Fifth Avenue where they melted into the late evening crowd.

Tom had made no move. And she hadn’t needed to make a choice.

With Prohibited Passion, I didn’t have that fear, because the cover existed before the book!

I knew the story I wanted to write, so when an opportunity to win a custom cover design came up on Brenda Novak’s auction, I thought “what the hell?” I set my bid limits and duly forgot about it. Lo and behold, I won the bid and the services of the wonderful Viola Estrella.

Viola’s cover is breathtaking, I’m sure you’ll agree. I kept this image on the pinboard beside my desk all the way through writing the book, and it helped keep me focussed on the characters and the feel of the story. I’m still in love with this cover, not just because it’s so atmospheric, but because it matches the book so well. It’s an upside down way of working, but I highly recommend it!

Prohibited Passion will be on sale on Amazon at the end of April. For a sneak peek at the story, check back here on #SampleSunday.

Since I write historicals, I thought I’d feature an historical novel that was recommended to me separately by three of my writer friends. By the time I reached the end of the Prologue, I understood what they were all raving about. The book is Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase.

This RITA award winner was published by Avon Historical in 1995 and though the cover may seem dated, I predict the words within will become a romance classic.

Jessica Trent is a feisty, unconventional heroine in the Georgette Heyer mold, and the snappy dialogue would have done that grand dame of Regency Romance proud. The book grabbed my attention on page one, and didn’t let go until long after I’d turned the last page. But perhaps the best part of this novel is the hero, the dark, devilish Marquess of Dain. Swoon.

Sebastian Ballister, Marquess of Dain, is every mother’s nightmare. He has devoted to his life to every vice imaginable, and he’s quite happy with that. Just as well his taste in women doesn’t run to ladies of quality, or more reputations than his own would be ruined. Enter Jessica Trent, a no-nonsense, intelligent spinster set on removing her impressionable brother from Dain’s influence. Sparks fly from the first time they meet and soon all of Paris is laying bets on whether she’s the woman to bring the notorious bachelor to his knees.

The game is on and both intend to win. Neither intend for their rivalry to end in marriage. But one compromising kiss is all it takes and before Jessica can catch her breath, she’s whisked back to London, married to the Lord of Scoundrels, and ensconced in the wilds of Dartmoor where the chemistry and the drama are only ratcheted higher.

Lord of Scoundrels is a fast-paced read that is un-put-downable. To see for yourself, read this extract on Loretta Chase’s website.

The Romance Hop runs from 25 to 29 January, and there are prizes galore. To follow the Hop, or to sign up for great prizes, click on the button below.

In the words of Angie from Romancing the Book, in this story “Rosalie likes fixing things – and people. William doesn’t want to be fixed, but he really doesn’t have much say. He underestimates her one time too many, but is soon just as captivated by her as she is with him.”

If you haven’t yet read this book … come on, you know you want to!

This collection of eight short stories, varying from fun and flirty to seriously sexy, is centred around the retained firefighters of a Lake District village. Seven hot firemen and one hot firewoman, none of whom will escape the heat of passion unscorched.

For Sunday 23 December only, this is available free on Amazon and Amazon UK.

An Innocent Abroad

Fresh from finishing school, Isobel Harrington is sent to spend the summer in Italy with cousins in order to catch the eye of the eligible Hon. Christopher Barrett.

But rather than Christopher, it is enigmatic Italian Stefano who awakens Isobel’s sensuality, and who introduces her to the daring new idea that anything is possible, if only you want it enough.

Get your copy at Amazon, Amazon UK or The Wild Rose Press. And it’s available at a special discounted price on All Romance eBooks.

Let’s Misbehave is also currently on sale at the low, low price of just $1.99 from The Wild Rose Press or from Amazon.

My hero in Dear Julia is a former naval commander, a veteran of the naval battle of the Adriatic. When I researched the naval battles of The Great War, I chose to place William on the HMS Dartmouth, a light cruiser in service from 1911 to 1930, after stumbling across an article from The Times newspaper of 19th May 1917.

The article reports on an engagement between the Allied and Austrian forces off the Italian coast. What particularly caught my attention in this article were the lines:

During her passage back, H.M.S. Dartmouth was struck by a torpedo from an enemy sub-marine, but returned into port with three men killed and one officer and four men missing – believed dead – and seven wounded. There were no other casualties to our ships.

Digging further, I discovered that one of the wounded was a naval commander. No names were mentioned, so my Commander William Cavendish became one of the wounded.

What finally sealed William’s fate was when I discovered that at the outbreak of the war, HMS Dartmouth had been stationed in the East Indies. What if William received a last minute appointment to this ship before it sailed across the world? What if he couldn’t see his sweetheart before he set sail? What if he had to leave her a letter promising his heart and leaving her a ring as a proposal? And what if she never received the letter, and believing he’d left without making her any promises, she then met and married someone else?

If you’ve come to this blog to find the clue for the Sizzling Summer Reads contest, then you’ve already found the answer. If not, then click here to enter and win.