Free for Two Days: The Vital Principle

To celebrate the release of my latest Regency romantic mystery featuring the irrepressible Archer family, Escaping Notice , my book The Vital Principle is free for two days on Amazon.com. I hope you'll pass the word and check it out! The Vital Principle has been a great flagship novel for me and continues to sell well.

Here's a brief blurb about The Vital Principle, along with a small excerpt.

The Vital Principle ASecond Sons Inquiry Agency MysteryOn sale for FREE from March 30-31, 2011
BackCover BlurbIn 1815, aninquiry agent, Mr. Knighton Gaunt, is asked by Lord Crowley to attend a séancewith the express purpose of revealing the spiritualist as a fraud. The séanceends abruptly, however, and during the turmoil, someone poisons Lord Crowley'sbrandy. Appalled that murder has been committed under his very nose, Gaunt isleft to investigate not only fraud, but murder. Suspicion turns first to thespiritualist, Miss Prudence Barnard, but as Gaunt digs deeper into the twistedhistory of the guests at Rosecrest, he discovers more deadly secrets.Inevitably, long-time friends turn against one another as the tension mountsand Gaunt is challenged to separate fact from fiction.

EXCERPT
In this scene, inquiryagent Knight Gaunt is questioning Miss Prudence Barnard, a spiritualist he washired to expose as a fraud. While he doesn't quite believe she murdered theirhost, he's not entirely sure she didn't, either, and she's not making it easyfor him.

"May came from the right, however. Past the dowager and LordCrowley."
"Question her, then."
"Rest assured, I will. And the others came around the table fromthat direction, as well." He glanced at her again, remembering the details."You assisted the dowager, didn't you?"
"I don't remember precisely, but I supposed I might have."
"She was standing a yard or so away from the table. And you stoodin front of her with your back to the table?"
Her expression tightened. "Then you do remember. Although I'm sure you believe I was close enough toLord Crowley to pour a few drops of Prussic acid into his brandy. That is whatyou're insinuating, isn't it?"
While her accusation was true, he couldn't actually picture herdoing that. He had closely observed her the previous evening, waiting for herto try some trick. If she had approached Crowley's snifter that closely, heought to remember it.
"If you wish to admit—"
"I do not."
He nodded. It would have been extremely difficult for her tocarry around a bottle of Prussic acid without either pockets or a reticule.
Of course, he intended to verify the lack of pockets or reticulewith Miss Barnard's maid and the other lady guests. One of them may havenoticed.
"If you'd just ask the dowager—" She stopped and then addedhastily, "But don't bother her now. She's not well. It's been very difficultwith first her husband dying and now her son…." She ended awkwardly and glancedaway, turning to focus on the sewing basket and magazine. Then her gaze flashedto his. He could see a sudden memory leap into her mind as her expressionchanged.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I was wrong." Her dark brows scrunched briefly. "I—"
"What?"
She shook her head.
"What did you remember? There's no point in holding back.Ultimately, I'll discover the truth."
This earned a small, tight smile. "You're frightfully conceited."
"Yes." A smile twisted his mouth. "Now what did you remember?"
"I—it's probably nothing."
"Will you stop equivocating? If it's something odd, I can assureyou there were enough people in the room to help confirm it. There's no pointin being coy."
"Is that what I'mbeing? Coy? How unusual." Shecertainly had a talent for sweetly stated sarcasm.
"I'll hold whatever you tell me in confidence. I'm reputed to bea reasonably fair man."
"As long as women aren't involved. And it conforms to your ideaof the truth."
"Undoubtedly." He held her gaze.
She flushed and pushed at the magazine on the table with herfingertips. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me. You do rather have a reputation,however, for distrusting women. Although I'm sure you must have an excellentreason."
"I assure you, I don't dislike women."
"As long as they stay comfortably in their place? And aren'tcharlatans? We mustn't forget how important absolutehonesty is."
"As long as you answer my questions truthfully, I'm completelyimpartial."
ABrief BioAmy Corwin is acharter member of the Romance Writers of America and recently joined MysteryWriters of America. She has been writing for the last ten years and managing acareer as an enterprise systems administrator in the computer industry.  She writes Regencies/historicals, mysteries, andcontemporary paranormals. To be truthful, most of her books include a bit of murderand mayhem since she discovered that killing off at least one character is ahighly effective way to make the remaining ones toe the plot line.Amy's booksinclude the two Regency romances, SMUGGLED ROSE, and LOVE, THE CRITIC; threeRegency romantic mysteries, I BID ONE AMERICAN, THE BRICKLAYER'S HELPER, andTHE NECKLACE; and her first paranormal, VAMPIRE PROTECTOR.
Join her anddiscover that every good mystery has a touch of romance.




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