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Interview & Review of Silk & Scorn by Cassandra Dean w/a GC giveaway and tons of swag!

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Silk and Scorn – The Silk Series Book 2

by Cassandra Dean

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BLURB:

 

No matter how much their mothers wanted Sarah and Arthur to wed, Sarah had loathed him. However, circumstance and her late husband’s father conspire against her, and she is forced to turn to Arthur for help. Perhaps she needs his legal expertise, but she refuses to acknowledge how handsome her oldest foe has become…or her reaction to him.

 

His childhood nemesis is the last person Arthur Davenport expected to require his services. When a spurious claim against her late husband’s estate brings Sarah Wetherall to his door, he can’t refuse the pretty widow.

 

Thrown together by fate, will they discover there is a fine line between scorn and passion?

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Excerpt Three:

 

“Stop looking at me like that.”

 

“Like what?”

 

Ignoring the sudden thud of her heart, she waved her hand. “That.”

 

His fingers rubbed his cuff. “I’m not looking at you in any particular way.”

 

“Yes. You are.” A way that made her feel shivery and weak and desperately wanting his body against hers. She had wanted to see him, had wanted…something, but this was too much, too fast.

 

She squared her shoulders. “I’m leaving.”

 

“Are you?” He took a step forward.

 

The chair behind her, she couldn’t take a step back. Not that she would. Oh no, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “Yes! Must you answer everything with a question?”

 

He took another step forward. “Am I?”

 

He was so close, she could see the faint pattern of freckles on his skin. “What are you doing?”

 

He was silent a long moment. “I don’t know.”

 

“Well, you should know. You should be aware of your actions and their consequences.” Words bubbled from her, nerves running them together. “This is insupportable, ridiculous, and—and—”

 

“Sarah. Hush.” He put his hand to her cheek.

 

Slowly, she covered his hand with hers. The air between them thickened, as if a hundred thousand expectations rode the space.

 

She didn’t know if it were she or him who swayed first, but their lips brushed. Soft, gentle, his lips clung to hers, and she could not remember ever feeling such sweetness in her life.

 

They parted. Opening her eyes, she found a hesitant hazel gaze regarding her. She couldn’t describe how she felt. She felt warm and comforted and happy and hopeful. She felt…possibility.

authorinterview

Welcome Cassandra Dean! Please start off by telling us a little about yourself.
Hi all! I’m Cassandra Dean and I write historical romance ranging from sweet to steamy. I also play about in the eras, roaming from Ancient Rome to Victorian to the Old West and beyond. My books take readers on an emotional rollercoaster, from the lowest of lows to the joyous of highs. And, of course, my characters fall into the forever kind of love.

I’m Australian, love film cameras, and am currently excited for the return of AFL Football – my team is going gangbusters! Of course, we’re only two weeks in…

Is SILK & SCORN a single title, or part of a series?

SILK & SCORN is the second in The Silk Series, tales featuring law-loving people and their eventual partners. Silk refers to the nickname given to Queen’s Counsels, the highest barrister form of barrister, and represents the law-loving person. Set in Victorian England, these people are either men who studied law at Cambridge or ladies who wished they could have studied.

The second part of the title refers to their hero or heroine – in the case of SILK & SCORN, the second part refers to the disdain Sarah holds for Arthur and vice versa. Will things change? The word on the street is…probably 😉

What were your inspirations for the story?

The first book in the series, SILK & SCANDAL, was inspired by a UK TV show I was watching at the time entitled Silk. Featuring barristers in a modern setting, I was a bit obsessed by it. When my publisher asked me to write a historical to launch a new series, I immediately thought of Silk and bam! The hero became a barrister.

Expanding the story into a series, I decided to make each law-loving person a different aspect of the profession, thus Arthur is a solicitor specialising in estate law. He’s a bit controlled and logical, and doesn’t much cotton to things such as emotion. Therefore, what better than to give him a heroine who makes him lose his cool at the drop of a hat? Sarah doesn’t much care for Arthur at the beginning of the story and is not shy about letting him know. It was such fun to write these two!

Please share your setting for SILK & SCORN. Have you ever lived or visited there? If so, what did you like most?

I was very lucky a few years ago to undertake a big three-month holiday in Europe. During my trip, I visited Cambridge and fell in love with the gorgeousness of it. It’s a seriously pretty university town and my memories are extremely vivid.

SILK & SCORN, though, is set entirely in London. I spent a little over two weeks of that three months in London and I fell in love. It’s a wonderful town, with a strange mix of the new and the ancient. I loved touching structures that had been in place for thousands of years, and of course I LOVED the West End and being able to decide at 5pm that I wanted to see a stage show that night and twenty minutes later having a ticket and lining up to enter the theatre. I hope to visit again real soon!

When did the writing bug first bite?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I never thought I could be, though. I always thought that was for way cooler people than me! Luckily, I took a course at university that set me on the path to changing my mind…maybe I was just cool enough… 🙂

If you could have an author roundtable discussion with any authors, who would you invite?
Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, director of The Avengers, general all-round AWESOME writer), Stephen S DeKnight (creator of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, learnt at the foot of Joss), Meljean Brook (author of The Guardian Series and The Iron Seas), Kim Harrison (author of The Hollows Series), Vince Gillian (creator of Breaking Bad), Loretta Chase (author of Lord of Scoundrels).

Man, that would be AWESOME.

Do you have any hobbies or special things you like to do in your spare time?

Sleep. Sleep is good.

I haven’t had much spare time lately, but when I do, I like reading, watching telly, hanging out with friends, cooking.

 

bookreview

I’m in such awe of a writer that can 1) write historical romance 2) have me laughing after the first page 3) bring sexual tension to new heights with just words  and 4) leave me wanting more.  Ms. Dean has done that with Silk & Scorn.

This is the second book in a series but its clearly a stand alone.  Without a cliffhanger and the book is about two people that met as children and later in life met again.  Ooooo, the letters that these two exchanged as children are a riot!  You could tell that they really did like each other beneath all that piss and vinegar.  And there meeting after all those years…brilliant.  The tension that radiates off of them is plable and oh so real.  *sigh*

What is it about sexual tension in a book?  From the first words, to the first look, to finally the first touch.  Ms. Dean can write sexual tension like nobody’s business.  You can feel it and taste it.  Yes, oh my word…Sarah and Arthur are perfect for each other.  They play off of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.  Their letters are great in the beginning and in the end.  Ms. Dean has a way with words in the letters that are beautiful and wicked.

I’m not sure what else to say but you need to buy the book, read it and try to disagree with me.  Its not long but it will leave you wanting more.  Great historical romance from an author that is new to me but not anymore.

5harlies

recommend-harlies- new

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Cassandra grew up daydreaming, inventing fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures. Once she learned to read (First phrase – To the Beach. True story), she was never without a book, reading of other people’s fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures.

 

Fairy tales, Famous Fives, fantasies and fancies; horror stories, gumshoe detectives, science fiction; Cassandra read it all. Then she discovered Romance and a true passion was born.

 

So, once upon a time, after making a slight detour into the world of finance, Cassandra tried her hand at writing. After a brief foray into horror, she couldn’t discount her true passion. She started to write Romance and fell head over heels.

 

The love affair exists to this very day.

 

Cassandra lives in Adelaide, South Australia.

 

LINKS:

 

Website http://cassandradean.com

 

Blog http://cassandradean.com/blog-2

 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraDean

 

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/authorCassDean

 

Google+ https://plus.google.com/102347750251485935942

 

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5016740.Cassandra_Dean

 

Tumblr  http://cassandra-dean.tumblr.com/

 

Pintrest  http://pinterest.com/cassandradean/

 

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authorcassdean

 

BUY LINKS:

 

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Cassandra-Dean/e/B006W6BUE6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1392738521&sr=1-1

 

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/cassandra-dean

 

Cassandra will be awarding at each stop a signed SILK & SCORN postcard and a SILK & SCORN magnet to a randomly drawn commenter, and a Grand Prize of a $15 Amazon Gift Card, a hard copy* and ebook copy of SILK & SCANDAL, the Silk Series Book 1, a SILK & SCORN mug, a signed SILK & SCORN postcard and a SILK & SCORN magnet will be awarded to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. (international giveaway)

*hard copy will be printed and bound, not an official bound paperback
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

18 thoughts on “Interview & Review of Silk & Scorn by Cassandra Dean w/a GC giveaway and tons of swag!

  1. Hi peeps,
    Welcome to SILK & SCORN’s book tour! I hope you enjoy learning about me, SILK & SCORN and of course entering the giveaway. First off, thank you to Harlie for having me on her blog. I’d also like to thank her for the wonderful review of SILK & SCORN. I’m so glad you enjoyed Sarah and Arthur’s tale, Harlie.

    Fun fact: I live in Australia so I might not be around much as I’m probably a) asleep or b) at work, but I will check in and answer your questions and comments.

    Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the tour!

  2. Thanks for the spotlight and for the review – this does sound like an interesting book,. Thanks for the giveaway too

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