Anne Whitfield's Blog, page 6
September 16, 2011
New review for The House of Women
THE HOUSE OF WOMENAnne Whitfield, Knox Robinson, 2011, £12.99, pb, 381pp, 9780956790187
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The House of Women is a poignant, very readable novel of life in Victorian England, which is set in Leeds at the height of the Victorian era in 1870. The moving story follows the life of Grace Woodruff, the eldest of seven daughters, who has to assume responsibility for her sisters and their vast estate.
Grace has put aside her own broken heart, as she is rejected by her first love, in order to keep the family together. Her mother has withdrawn to her rooms, and Grace becomes the buffer between her sisters and their violent, tyrannical father. Grace struggles to keep the family together through a compelling story which is woven with violence, alcoholism and out-of-wedlock pregnancies, rejection, illness and impoverishment.
Although there is betrayal, hatred and lies, there is also love. The rich, colourful, complex characters bring this family saga to life. It is beautifully written with a very strong heroine who, even when the rest of the family are pulling her in many ways, tries to stay strong, although there is the odd slip along the way. As the story unfolds we meet an admirer for Grace, the butler, and a shift foreman is also smitten with her. Grace really wants to have her own family, and when the possibility of love comes along, Grace must decide if she should give up the responsibility of the House of Women and take her own chance of happiness.
The challenges Grace faces with twists and turns along the way make this book a great read. It has the reader hooked from page one, keeps the reader guessing and is difficult to put down once started. An excellent book, highly recommended.
Barbara Goldie
Historical Novels Review (August, 2011)
Purchase from Amazon USA
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=anne+whitfield&x=0&y=0
Purchase from Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=anne+whitfield&x=13&y=21
August 7, 2011
RIP: Nancy Wake
I was very sorry to hear of Nancy Wake's death this morning. She defines the word, 'heroine' to me.
I couple of years ago I read her biography written by Australian author Peter FitzSimons.
This is the type of book that kids should be reading in high school, not Shakespeare or other unrelated works that are out-dated for today's learning (in my humble opinion).
Unsung heroes and heroines such as Nancy Wake should be household names for what they did to help keep our freedom and liberties.
Nancy Wake by Peter FitzSimons: The number one bestselling biography of Australia′s greatest war heroine - over 84,000 copies sold in its first two formats.
In the early 1930s, Nancy Wake was a young woman enjoying a bohemian life in Paris. By the end of the Second World War, she was the Gestapo′s most wanted person.As a naïve, young journalist, Nancy Wake witnessed a horrific scene of Nazi violence in a Viennese street. From that moment, she declared that she would do everything in her power to rid Europe of the Nazis. What began as a courier job here and there became a highly successful escape network for Allied soldiers, perfectly camouflaged by Nancy′s high-society life in Marseille. Her network was soon so successful - and so notorious - that she was forced to flee France to escape the Gestapo, who had dubbed her ′the white mouse′ for her knack of slipping through its traps.But Nancy was a passionate enemy of the Nazis and refused to stay away. Supplying weapons and training members of a powerful underground fighting force, organising Allied parachute drops, cycling four hundred kilometres across a mountain range to find a new transmitting radio - nothing seemed too difficult in her fight against the Nazis.Peter FitzSimons reveals Nancy Wake′s compelling story, a tale of an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things.
Purchase the book from bookstores or from HarperCollins:
http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Nancy-Wake-Peter-FitzSimons?isbn=9780732274566&HCHP=TB_Nancy+Wake
I couple of years ago I read her biography written by Australian author Peter FitzSimons.
This is the type of book that kids should be reading in high school, not Shakespeare or other unrelated works that are out-dated for today's learning (in my humble opinion).
Unsung heroes and heroines such as Nancy Wake should be household names for what they did to help keep our freedom and liberties.
Nancy Wake by Peter FitzSimons: The number one bestselling biography of Australia′s greatest war heroine - over 84,000 copies sold in its first two formats.
In the early 1930s, Nancy Wake was a young woman enjoying a bohemian life in Paris. By the end of the Second World War, she was the Gestapo′s most wanted person.As a naïve, young journalist, Nancy Wake witnessed a horrific scene of Nazi violence in a Viennese street. From that moment, she declared that she would do everything in her power to rid Europe of the Nazis. What began as a courier job here and there became a highly successful escape network for Allied soldiers, perfectly camouflaged by Nancy′s high-society life in Marseille. Her network was soon so successful - and so notorious - that she was forced to flee France to escape the Gestapo, who had dubbed her ′the white mouse′ for her knack of slipping through its traps.But Nancy was a passionate enemy of the Nazis and refused to stay away. Supplying weapons and training members of a powerful underground fighting force, organising Allied parachute drops, cycling four hundred kilometres across a mountain range to find a new transmitting radio - nothing seemed too difficult in her fight against the Nazis.Peter FitzSimons reveals Nancy Wake′s compelling story, a tale of an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things.
Purchase the book from bookstores or from HarperCollins:
http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Nancy-Wake-Peter-FitzSimons?isbn=9780732274566&HCHP=TB_Nancy+Wake
August 2, 2011
The Right Man now available!
My short story, The Right Man is now available for .99 cents as a download on Kindle and varying other formats.
This short story was previous published in 2007. I've recently given it another edit, a new cover and a new title, which I think it needed.
The interesting thing is that with this story I've decided to self-publish it on Amazon's Kindle and at Smashwords, which hosts a number of different formats. This is the first time I've self-published at Smashwords, and the process wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. I was daunted by the prospect of self-publishing, but after doing a test run with my anthology, which went rather smoothly, I thought to try it again by putting up The Right Man. Now I've managed to do it without going completely mental, I will self-publish some more short stories for .99 cents.
The Right Man blurb:
Molly Daniels is on summer holiday in a small town in the country to recover from a broken marriage. She's hurt, disillusioned, and unsure of her future. The last thing she is looking for is a man.
Sebastian Lord is the town's most eligible bachelor, a title he hates. Having given up a successful career in the city, he now owns a small farm and is content to hide away there, away from the real world that has hurt him in the past. Since his fiancé was killed four years ago, he's refused to enter the dating game again.
An unlikely pair, Seb's newly adopted and wayward dog has an uncanny habit of bringing the two together. Though each has their own doubts, they give into the call of a strong, mutual attraction and share a hot summer together, but can they shed past hurts to embrace future happiness together?
Buy from Smashwords in multi formats.
This short story was previous published in 2007. I've recently given it another edit, a new cover and a new title, which I think it needed.
The interesting thing is that with this story I've decided to self-publish it on Amazon's Kindle and at Smashwords, which hosts a number of different formats. This is the first time I've self-published at Smashwords, and the process wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. I was daunted by the prospect of self-publishing, but after doing a test run with my anthology, which went rather smoothly, I thought to try it again by putting up The Right Man. Now I've managed to do it without going completely mental, I will self-publish some more short stories for .99 cents.
The Right Man blurb:
Molly Daniels is on summer holiday in a small town in the country to recover from a broken marriage. She's hurt, disillusioned, and unsure of her future. The last thing she is looking for is a man.
Sebastian Lord is the town's most eligible bachelor, a title he hates. Having given up a successful career in the city, he now owns a small farm and is content to hide away there, away from the real world that has hurt him in the past. Since his fiancé was killed four years ago, he's refused to enter the dating game again.
An unlikely pair, Seb's newly adopted and wayward dog has an uncanny habit of bringing the two together. Though each has their own doubts, they give into the call of a strong, mutual attraction and share a hot summer together, but can they shed past hurts to embrace future happiness together?
Buy from Smashwords in multi formats.
July 25, 2011
Review: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
Blurb: When Eva's film star sister Katrina dies, she leaves California and returns to Cornwall, where they spent their childhood summers, to scatter Katrina's ashes and in doing so return her to the place where she belongs. But Eva must also confront the ghosts from her own past, as well as those from a time long before her own. For the house where she so often stayed as a child is home not only to her old friends the Halletts, but also to the people who had lived there in the eighteenth century. When Eva finally accepts that she is able to slip between centuries and see and talk to the inhabitants from hundreds of years ago, she soon finds herself falling for Daniel Butler, a man who lived - and died - long before she herself was born. Eva begins to question her place in the present, and in laying her sister to rest, comes to realise that she too must decide where she really belongs, choosing between the life she knows and the past she feels so drawn towards.
Review: Susanna Kearsley is one of my favourite authors. I haven't read a book of hers yet that I didn't like. The Rose Garden was very enjoyable. Full of lovely characters who felt so natural and real they could be your neighbours. I loved the story arc of slipping from this world into the past. Not many authors can pull off time travel, but Susanna Kearsley is a star at it. She has the touch which makes it so believable, and easy to accept. Whose it say it's not possible? LOL
If you enjoy rich descriptions, lovely details, a wealth of emotion, likable characters and an intriguing story, read The Rose Garden.
I highly recommend it.
I read my copy on my Kindle.
July 22, 2011
How the Kindle changed my reading habits
A year or two ago I was one of those people who didn't understand ereaders. I never thought I would be happy reading on an ereader after spending my life buying books. I grew up in a bookstore, so to speak, because my mother owned one for years. My first job at 10 was working in a bookstore.But when the Kindle became popular it caught my interest, then a fellow author, Maggi Andersen, showed me her new kindle and how easy it was to use and buy books on, that I thought I should give it ago, though I still had misgivings about spending that much money on a reading device!
Anyway I bought my kindle in January and adored it from the moment I opened the box.
I love the ease of using it, but more importantly I love the 'sample' function. It has to make the Kindle one of the most money-saving things I have bought.
By using the sample function, I have found so many new authors, whose books I've at first sampled and then ended up buying. But it has also allowed me to test some unknown authors as well, and if I didn't like the sample, I've not bought the book and saved myself money! This wouldn't have been possible without the sample option.
Here are some authors I've found by reading their samples on Kindle:
Gemini N. Sasson
Deanne Raybourn
Barbara Freethy
Cindy Gerard
De-ann Black
Oh, and a lot of old classics are available for free on Kindle, which is really good.
I've read quite a few historical biographies for free, too.
I now take for granted the possibility of having several books available to read whenever I turn my Kindle on. I like the freedom of being able to have many books at my fingertips to choose from. I also can search Amazon for more if I'm in a Wi-Fi area. Bliss!
Do be prepared though to spend a lot of time searching Amazon for books, a healthy pastime really, there are worse things to do, like shopping for toasters, or going to the dentist, scrubbing the toilet...
For more information on Amazon's Kindle:
Amazon.com (USA) Note: Kindles can be bought on other Amazon sites too.
http://www.ebookreaders-australia.com/
July 12, 2011
An Earl Dies...
George Lascelles, the 7th Earl of Harewood, grandson of King George V, and the Queen's first cousin has died.Harewood House in Leeds, Yorkshire, is a place I've visited many times, but I didn't know of the Earl's interesting history.He was a captain in WWII and was shot by a German patrol, the bullet just missing his heart. He was taken as a prisoner to Olfag IV-C (Colditz) and Hilter signed his death warrant, but a SS officer, thinking the war lost, released him to the Swiss.
He inherited the earldom aged just 24 and had to sell land around the Harewood estate to pay for the death tax duties. But he continued to make the estate and house pay for itself with wise programs to keep it profitable.Married twice, (the second time to an Aussie!) his son David now becomes the 8th Earl.
In his 80th birthday publication, he said: "Above everything , I reckon my good fortune held over my marriages – with Marion, three stalwart sons with whom I get on well and 18 more years of more harmony than a subsequent divorce suggests; and with Patricia, a son and 35 years of the sort of shared interests and mutual love such as one mostly dreams of or finds only in the pages of fiction.""I was brought up to think of Harewood as a trust, something that was entrusted to one from the past: a beautiful house, beautiful contents and in a beautiful environment – a trust which I would then pass on to my children."To read more about this fascinating man and the grand estate, visit these links:http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/leeds_tributes_after_death_of_lord_harewood_1_3567532 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lascelles,_7th_Earl_of_Harewood http://www.harewood.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harewood_House
July 8, 2011
What He Taught Her reviewed!
My short story, What He Taught Her received a 4 star review from Manic Readers! Happy about that!
http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=reviews&bookid=15651
http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=reviews&bookid=15651
June 28, 2011
Bringing the Past to Life
Bringing the Past to life.
Being a descendant from Yorkshire parents, my books are mostly set in Yorkshire, England. Some of the places in Yorkshire that I have set my books are York, Gargrave, Hebden Bridge and Leeds, in West Yorkshire. Leeds is only 9 miles from Wakefield where my family come from.There is belief that tribes roamed the area in Roman times and become more populated in the Anglo-Saxon period when it was called Loidis.During the middle ages it started to become a famous wool making centre. By 1600 the population of Leeds was 4,000 and by 1661 its first Mayor was appointed. With the substantial River Aire flowing through it and trade links to the sea via River Humber, Leeds continued to grow and the cloth trade grew with it.In 1724 Daniel Defoe visited Leeds and described the town's cloth market as 'a prodigy of its kind unequalled in the world'. In 1730 Leeds was described as one of the 'largest and most flourishing towns in the country'. Its expansion continued into the Victorian age.
Progress brought the building of industries such a weaving mills, sugar refineries, brick making and potteries. With the building and opening of the canals which linked Leeds to other major towns such as Liverpool, another sea port, the town grew rapidly. By 1841 the population of Leeds was eighty-eight thousand.
Today, Leeds is noted for its shopping and old Victorian buildings. The town was the starting point for merchandiser Marks & Spencer and Thornton's chocolates. Four notable historic houses that can be found in the Leeds area are Harewood House, Temple Newsam, Bramham Park and Lotherton Hall.
Traditional Yorkshire Pudding recipe. (we had Yorkshire puddings every Sunday when I was growing up. It accompanied a full roast lamb dinner.)Equipment and preparation: You will need a solid roasting tin measuring 28x23cm/11x9in.Ingredients175g/6oz plain flour2 eggs175ml/6fl oz milk (whole or semi-skimmed)110ml/4fl oz water2 tbsp beef drippingsalt and freshly milled black pepperPreparation method1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.2. Begin by placing a sieve over a large mixing bowl, then sift the flour in, holding the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down into the bowl. Now, with the back of a tablespoon, make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Add the salt and pepper.3. Now measure the milk and water into a measuring jug. Then begin to whisk the eggs wth an electric whisk and as you beat them the flour around the edges will be slowly incorporated. When the mixture becomes stiff simply add the milk and water mixture gradually, keeping the whisk going. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula so that any lumps can be pushed down into the batter, then whisk again till all is smooth. Now the batter is ready for use and although it's been rumoured that batter left to stand is better, I have found no foundation for this - so just make it whenever is convenient.4. To cook the Yorkshire pudding, remove the meat from the oven (or if it's not ready place it on a lower shelf) and turn the oven up to the above temperature. Spoon two tablespoons of beef fat into the roasting tin and allow it to pre-heat in the oven. When the oven is up to temperature remove the tin, using an oven glove, and place it over direct heat (turned to medium). Then, when the fat begins to shimmer and smoke a little, pour in the batter. Tip it evenly all round and then place the tin on a high shelf in the oven and cook the Yorkshire pudding for 40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve it cut into squares presto pronto.
Try it and see if you like it.
Being a descendant from Yorkshire parents, my books are mostly set in Yorkshire, England. Some of the places in Yorkshire that I have set my books are York, Gargrave, Hebden Bridge and Leeds, in West Yorkshire. Leeds is only 9 miles from Wakefield where my family come from.There is belief that tribes roamed the area in Roman times and become more populated in the Anglo-Saxon period when it was called Loidis.During the middle ages it started to become a famous wool making centre. By 1600 the population of Leeds was 4,000 and by 1661 its first Mayor was appointed. With the substantial River Aire flowing through it and trade links to the sea via River Humber, Leeds continued to grow and the cloth trade grew with it.In 1724 Daniel Defoe visited Leeds and described the town's cloth market as 'a prodigy of its kind unequalled in the world'. In 1730 Leeds was described as one of the 'largest and most flourishing towns in the country'. Its expansion continued into the Victorian age.
Progress brought the building of industries such a weaving mills, sugar refineries, brick making and potteries. With the building and opening of the canals which linked Leeds to other major towns such as Liverpool, another sea port, the town grew rapidly. By 1841 the population of Leeds was eighty-eight thousand.Today, Leeds is noted for its shopping and old Victorian buildings. The town was the starting point for merchandiser Marks & Spencer and Thornton's chocolates. Four notable historic houses that can be found in the Leeds area are Harewood House, Temple Newsam, Bramham Park and Lotherton Hall.
Traditional Yorkshire Pudding recipe. (we had Yorkshire puddings every Sunday when I was growing up. It accompanied a full roast lamb dinner.)Equipment and preparation: You will need a solid roasting tin measuring 28x23cm/11x9in.Ingredients175g/6oz plain flour2 eggs175ml/6fl oz milk (whole or semi-skimmed)110ml/4fl oz water2 tbsp beef drippingsalt and freshly milled black pepperPreparation method1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.2. Begin by placing a sieve over a large mixing bowl, then sift the flour in, holding the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down into the bowl. Now, with the back of a tablespoon, make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Add the salt and pepper.3. Now measure the milk and water into a measuring jug. Then begin to whisk the eggs wth an electric whisk and as you beat them the flour around the edges will be slowly incorporated. When the mixture becomes stiff simply add the milk and water mixture gradually, keeping the whisk going. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula so that any lumps can be pushed down into the batter, then whisk again till all is smooth. Now the batter is ready for use and although it's been rumoured that batter left to stand is better, I have found no foundation for this - so just make it whenever is convenient.4. To cook the Yorkshire pudding, remove the meat from the oven (or if it's not ready place it on a lower shelf) and turn the oven up to the above temperature. Spoon two tablespoons of beef fat into the roasting tin and allow it to pre-heat in the oven. When the oven is up to temperature remove the tin, using an oven glove, and place it over direct heat (turned to medium). Then, when the fat begins to shimmer and smoke a little, pour in the batter. Tip it evenly all round and then place the tin on a high shelf in the oven and cook the Yorkshire pudding for 40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve it cut into squares presto pronto.
Try it and see if you like it.
June 24, 2011
What He Taught Her now released!
My sexy short story, What He Taught Her has now been released in ebook. It does contain sensual love scenes.
Blurb:
Rob Healy has everything he wants, or will have once he's built his new resort on a small island in the Pacific. A woman in his life isn't planned at the moment, but when he sees Cassandra Kearns in the foyer looking stiff and out of place amongst the holiday makers his interest is spiked. What is a beautiful woman doing wearing a business suit and holding a laptop doing on an island resort, especially when there are no conferences booked that week?
Cassandra Kearns is fleeing New York and all that makes her comfortable for two idyllic weeks in the tropics. She's stressed, overtired and close to breaking point. Her divorce is finalised, her daughter is grown and she's realising that she's on her own and dare she say it - lonely.
She needs to take some time and recharge her batteries. But how is she to do that? She's worked 24/7 for years. Does she know how to have fun?
When Cassandra meets Rob she rejects the spark of attraction she feels. A man in her life, after the betrayal of Oliver? She'd rather eat broken glass!
Yet Rob is persistent, he's funny and he's gorgeous, but what exactly does he want?
Excerpt:
The music changed to a faster tempo and some of the couples got up to dance. Rob got them another bottle of wine and refilled her glass. Cassandra studied him as he secured the bottle back in the sand. Had she ever met such a man as him before? Yes, he was attractive, but he had something else that drew not only her attention, but the stares of other women around him.
There was magnetic quality about Rob, a mixture of a devil-may-care attitude and an inner strength of purpose which fascinated her. Desire grew inside her, igniting, and she felt a delicious heat in the pit of her stomach. It had been so long since she'd throbbed in need for a man's body.
Reggae thumped out of the speakers. Rob stood and held out his hand. "Come on, let's dance."
"Really?" She stared, as he helped her to her feet. "You dance?"
"Don't you?" He led her closer to the fire.
"I haven't for a long time, and the men I know never dance, at least not to this type of music."
He didn't answer her as the music was turned up, and the Jamaican rhythm of steel drums and a Caribbean voice urged them to let themselves go.
Fired by the wine, the heat of the fire, and the music filling her senses, Cassandra was transported to another world, one full of sensual stimulus, of earthy primal urges: to eat, to frolic, to cavort. Nature's way was very powerful, and she didn't fight against it.
She raised her arms and swung her hips, dancing as she hadn't done for a very long time. Laughing, Rob twirled her under his arm. The flames reflected off her gold shimmering dress. All the guests were dancing now, the music infectious, the atmosphere festive. Everyone seemed to just want to have fun, forget their problems and dance.
Cassandra squealed as Rob lifted her off her feet and spun her around. He stepped aside, grinning as a guy in his twenties came up to her and did a bit of dirty dancing with her, grinding his pelvis against hers, and she threw her head back and laughed. She felt young and completely alive. Within moments, he'd gone on to another woman, a young twenty something wearing hardly anything at all. The people around her were happy, and it had been forever since she'd felt this way.
The music changed to Salsa, and Rob took her in his arms and pulled her against him. Sexual need lit his blue eyes. He hungered for her. Her skin heated, longing for his touch.
Her smile melted away as the length of his body moved as one with hers, their steps not perfect, but instinctive, powerful. His shoulders muscles bunched beneath her hands. She ran her fingers down his back, and he tightened his hold even further.
They were locked in a dance as sexy and sensual as actually making love. Rob's eyes never left hers, his mouth only inches from her touch. His hands cupped her hips, guiding them against his own. She shimmied, turned and, with her back to him, danced in a way she'd never done before. Every provocative movement was a gesture of intimacy, of want, of promise. Through music, their bodies touched, sending silent messages to one another. Rob flipped her around to face him again and slipped his thigh between hers. His hands slid down over her bottom, and she gasped at the ache throbbing inside her.
The music changed again, back to a pumping beat. Rob slowly released her, and she regained some of her sense and took a step back. Shocked at her wanton behaviour, her smile was perfunctory.
God, she hoped she hadn't humiliated herself. She desperately wanted to sit down. What had gotten into her? She turned away from the bonfire and wandered away from the other dancers. Rob kept pace with her.
"Would you like to go for a walk up the beach?"
"No!" She jumped at the harshness of her refusal. "I mean no, sorry, thank you. I think it is time I went back to the beach house." She gathered up her purse and shoes from the blanket, refusing to make eye contact.
"Cassie..."
"Please, Rob. I must go. Thank you for tonight. I had a great time." She flashed him a tortured look, silently begging him not to say or do anything else. "Good night."
As fast as she could run in the soft sand, she left the beach and headed up to the steps to the path. "What a mess," she cried. Not bothering to put her heels back on, she ran along the shadowy path, away from Rob—wishing she could run away from the feeling he brought out in her, too.
Buy from Museit Up Publishing
Blurb:
Rob Healy has everything he wants, or will have once he's built his new resort on a small island in the Pacific. A woman in his life isn't planned at the moment, but when he sees Cassandra Kearns in the foyer looking stiff and out of place amongst the holiday makers his interest is spiked. What is a beautiful woman doing wearing a business suit and holding a laptop doing on an island resort, especially when there are no conferences booked that week?
Cassandra Kearns is fleeing New York and all that makes her comfortable for two idyllic weeks in the tropics. She's stressed, overtired and close to breaking point. Her divorce is finalised, her daughter is grown and she's realising that she's on her own and dare she say it - lonely.
She needs to take some time and recharge her batteries. But how is she to do that? She's worked 24/7 for years. Does she know how to have fun?
When Cassandra meets Rob she rejects the spark of attraction she feels. A man in her life, after the betrayal of Oliver? She'd rather eat broken glass!
Yet Rob is persistent, he's funny and he's gorgeous, but what exactly does he want?
Excerpt:
The music changed to a faster tempo and some of the couples got up to dance. Rob got them another bottle of wine and refilled her glass. Cassandra studied him as he secured the bottle back in the sand. Had she ever met such a man as him before? Yes, he was attractive, but he had something else that drew not only her attention, but the stares of other women around him.
There was magnetic quality about Rob, a mixture of a devil-may-care attitude and an inner strength of purpose which fascinated her. Desire grew inside her, igniting, and she felt a delicious heat in the pit of her stomach. It had been so long since she'd throbbed in need for a man's body.
Reggae thumped out of the speakers. Rob stood and held out his hand. "Come on, let's dance."
"Really?" She stared, as he helped her to her feet. "You dance?"
"Don't you?" He led her closer to the fire.
"I haven't for a long time, and the men I know never dance, at least not to this type of music."
He didn't answer her as the music was turned up, and the Jamaican rhythm of steel drums and a Caribbean voice urged them to let themselves go.
Fired by the wine, the heat of the fire, and the music filling her senses, Cassandra was transported to another world, one full of sensual stimulus, of earthy primal urges: to eat, to frolic, to cavort. Nature's way was very powerful, and she didn't fight against it.
She raised her arms and swung her hips, dancing as she hadn't done for a very long time. Laughing, Rob twirled her under his arm. The flames reflected off her gold shimmering dress. All the guests were dancing now, the music infectious, the atmosphere festive. Everyone seemed to just want to have fun, forget their problems and dance.
Cassandra squealed as Rob lifted her off her feet and spun her around. He stepped aside, grinning as a guy in his twenties came up to her and did a bit of dirty dancing with her, grinding his pelvis against hers, and she threw her head back and laughed. She felt young and completely alive. Within moments, he'd gone on to another woman, a young twenty something wearing hardly anything at all. The people around her were happy, and it had been forever since she'd felt this way.
The music changed to Salsa, and Rob took her in his arms and pulled her against him. Sexual need lit his blue eyes. He hungered for her. Her skin heated, longing for his touch.
Her smile melted away as the length of his body moved as one with hers, their steps not perfect, but instinctive, powerful. His shoulders muscles bunched beneath her hands. She ran her fingers down his back, and he tightened his hold even further.
They were locked in a dance as sexy and sensual as actually making love. Rob's eyes never left hers, his mouth only inches from her touch. His hands cupped her hips, guiding them against his own. She shimmied, turned and, with her back to him, danced in a way she'd never done before. Every provocative movement was a gesture of intimacy, of want, of promise. Through music, their bodies touched, sending silent messages to one another. Rob flipped her around to face him again and slipped his thigh between hers. His hands slid down over her bottom, and she gasped at the ache throbbing inside her.
The music changed again, back to a pumping beat. Rob slowly released her, and she regained some of her sense and took a step back. Shocked at her wanton behaviour, her smile was perfunctory.
God, she hoped she hadn't humiliated herself. She desperately wanted to sit down. What had gotten into her? She turned away from the bonfire and wandered away from the other dancers. Rob kept pace with her.
"Would you like to go for a walk up the beach?"
"No!" She jumped at the harshness of her refusal. "I mean no, sorry, thank you. I think it is time I went back to the beach house." She gathered up her purse and shoes from the blanket, refusing to make eye contact.
"Cassie..."
"Please, Rob. I must go. Thank you for tonight. I had a great time." She flashed him a tortured look, silently begging him not to say or do anything else. "Good night."
As fast as she could run in the soft sand, she left the beach and headed up to the steps to the path. "What a mess," she cried. Not bothering to put her heels back on, she ran along the shadowy path, away from Rob—wishing she could run away from the feeling he brought out in her, too.
Buy from Museit Up Publishing
June 8, 2011
It's out! The House of Women is released!
The House of Women by Anne Whitfield.
Blurb Leeds. 1870. Lonely and brokenhearted, Grace Woodruff fights for her sisters' rights to happiness while sacrificing any chance for her own.
The eldest of seven daughters, Grace is the core of strength around which the unhappy members of the Woodruff family revolve. As her disenchanted mother withdraws to her rooms, Grace must act as a buffer between her violent, ambitious father and the sisters who depend upon her. Rejected by her first love and facing a spinster's future, she struggles to hold the broken family together through her father's infidelity, one sister's alcoholism, and another's out-of-wedlock pregnancy by an unsuitable match.
Caring for an illegitimate half-brother affords Grace an escape, though short-lived. Forced home by illness and burdened with dwindling finances, Grace faces fresh anguish –and murder– when her first love returns to wreck havoc in her life. All is not lost, however. In the midst of tragedy, the fires of her heart are rekindled by another. Will the possibility of true love lead Grace to relinquish her responsibilities in the house of women and embrace her own right to happiness?
Excerpt
Grace blinked to clear her frozen mind as her mother and Verity climbed the staircase. If Verity was here then was William here too? Movement at the door caused Grace to close her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to open them and see the one man she'd longed for since she was sixteen.'Miss Woodruff?' Doyle inquired at her shoulder. Startled, she spun to face him, but she was blind to him, blind to everything but the sensation of having William here. Crazily, she wondered if she would swoon like a maiden aunt. Doyle's hand reached out, but he quickly tucked it behind his back. 'What is it, Miss Woodruff?' Grace swallowed, feeling the fine hairs on her arms and nape prickle. He is here.'Good evening, Grace.'At the sound of William's deep velvety voice, her heart stopped beating, only to start again at a rapid pace. Her stomach clenched and her legs felt unable to support her anymore. Slowly, she swivelled to gaze into William's blue-green eyes and knew she was lost again. William smiled his captivating smile. He had aged, no, matured since their last meeting. He looked leaner, but broader in the shoulders. There was an aura about him, something that females of any age wanted. He made all other men around him seem insignificant. A magnetism, a mystical air surrounded him, catching Grace in its clutches once more.
Order The House of Women from Amazon.com, USA
Amazon UK
The Book Depository (free postage)
Blurb Leeds. 1870. Lonely and brokenhearted, Grace Woodruff fights for her sisters' rights to happiness while sacrificing any chance for her own.
The eldest of seven daughters, Grace is the core of strength around which the unhappy members of the Woodruff family revolve. As her disenchanted mother withdraws to her rooms, Grace must act as a buffer between her violent, ambitious father and the sisters who depend upon her. Rejected by her first love and facing a spinster's future, she struggles to hold the broken family together through her father's infidelity, one sister's alcoholism, and another's out-of-wedlock pregnancy by an unsuitable match.
Caring for an illegitimate half-brother affords Grace an escape, though short-lived. Forced home by illness and burdened with dwindling finances, Grace faces fresh anguish –and murder– when her first love returns to wreck havoc in her life. All is not lost, however. In the midst of tragedy, the fires of her heart are rekindled by another. Will the possibility of true love lead Grace to relinquish her responsibilities in the house of women and embrace her own right to happiness?
Excerpt
Grace blinked to clear her frozen mind as her mother and Verity climbed the staircase. If Verity was here then was William here too? Movement at the door caused Grace to close her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to open them and see the one man she'd longed for since she was sixteen.'Miss Woodruff?' Doyle inquired at her shoulder. Startled, she spun to face him, but she was blind to him, blind to everything but the sensation of having William here. Crazily, she wondered if she would swoon like a maiden aunt. Doyle's hand reached out, but he quickly tucked it behind his back. 'What is it, Miss Woodruff?' Grace swallowed, feeling the fine hairs on her arms and nape prickle. He is here.'Good evening, Grace.'At the sound of William's deep velvety voice, her heart stopped beating, only to start again at a rapid pace. Her stomach clenched and her legs felt unable to support her anymore. Slowly, she swivelled to gaze into William's blue-green eyes and knew she was lost again. William smiled his captivating smile. He had aged, no, matured since their last meeting. He looked leaner, but broader in the shoulders. There was an aura about him, something that females of any age wanted. He made all other men around him seem insignificant. A magnetism, a mystical air surrounded him, catching Grace in its clutches once more.
Order The House of Women from Amazon.com, USA
Amazon UK
The Book Depository (free postage)
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