Take a Western Escape with Cassandra Dean’s Fool’s Gold & enter to WIN!
Welcome back, Cassandra! It’s always a pleasure to have you here. 
Can you tell us about your new release?
CD: Certainly! FOOL’S GOLD is the second in The Diamond Series and part of Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape. It’s set in the frontier town of Freewill, Wyoming, in 1879 and concerns the Diamond Saloon and Theater.
Pearl la Monte is manager of the Diamond, as well as star of its theater. However, on a cold Christmas Eve with a blizzard blowing in, the Diamond is empty of people and all Pearl wants to curl up in a warm bed. A pounding at the Diamond’s door spoils her plans, and when she discovers it’s that fool, Ethan Garrett, at the Diamond’s door, she’s not best pleased.
Then, the blizzard blows in, trapping them both and they discover their ire for the other disguises something more passionate…
What was your inspiration for this story?
CD: ROUGH DIAMOND, book 1 in The Diamond Series, had been completed and I had a vague idea for a shorter story featuring two secondary characters, Pearl la Monte and Ethan Garrett. Then, my editor asked me if we would be getting Pearl and Ethan’s story, could I pretty please write their tale…and the rest is history!
What genres do you write in, and what appeals to you about those genres?
CD: I predominately write historicals, but it seems I like to jump around! I’ve an Ancient Roman erotic romance (ENSLAVED), an Early Victorian erotic romance (TEACH ME), two Old West erotic romances (ROUGH DIAMOND and FOOL’S GOLD) and an upcoming Early Victorian romance (SILK & SCANDAL, book 1 of The Silk Series). I’ve also writing short stories for anthologies that are contemporary.
My ultimate love is historicals, however. Something about the past appeals greatly to me, albeit my view is through rose-coloured glasses. I do have plans to write a Steampunk series, and I’d love to write High Fantasy one day!
I’ve read Teach Me, and it’s fabulous! What are you working on now?
CD: Edits for SILK & SCANDAL, as well as a few other story ideas. Oh, and SILK & SCORN, next in The Silk Series :)
What author(s) have influenced your writing style?
CD: Loretta Chase is just the bestest. She writes such fearsomely strong, no-nonsense heroines, and such wonderfully masculine yet vulnerable heroes.
I’m also a massive fan of Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and director of The Avengers. Listening to the commentaries on his movies and TV shows have taught me so much and I highly recommend people check them out if they’re interested in the craft of writing.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?
CD: Persevere. It’s so tough to get knocked back, time and again. I had umpteen million rejections before I finally got my first contract. It was really hard to get back on the horse, to submit again when you were sure they were going to reject you. But it’s the only way, and so I persevered.
Now, I have four books published, two short stories, another book on the way and another short story in the works. I have two ongoing series, and plans for another. All because I persevered. Yay!
Great advice! Where can my readers find you?
These places right here!
My website | Cassandra and Lucy | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr | Pintrest | Amazon.com
Where can my readers find your books?
CD: FOOL’S GOLD is available at the following e-stores:
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | All Romance eBooks | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble
My other books are available from Decadent Publishing and all good stores and eStores, including the below:
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | All Romance eBooks | Book Depository | iTunes Australia | Barnes & Noble
AND THERE’S EVEN MORE – A GIVEAWAY*! Comment below and you’ll go in the running to win a signed FOOL’S GOLD postcard and FOOL’S GOLD magnet. Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you should you win. Good luck!
Thank you for having me, Jessica. I’ve had a blast!
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr | Pintrest | Amazon.com
Fool’s Gold:Christmas in Freewill
Christmas Eve, the Diamond Saloon is empty of its people, and Pearl la Monte has a hankering to retire early. A pounding at the Diamond’s door rids her of such a fool notion. Her irritation rises when she sees the prissy, polite-like Garrett standing outside.
Ethan Garrett has a powerful need to gain succor. When the saloon’s voluptuous redheaded singer scowls at him from the threshold of the Diamond, he doesn’t stop to think on how his ire at her has disappeared. Or how he just wants to spend some time in her company.
When a blizzard storms in, trapping them, will they spend their time arguing or find their irritation for each other disguises something more?
Excerpt:
Turning on her heel, Pearl marched off toward the stairs.
A weird kind of panic jolted through Ethan, one he’d never felt before in all his days. It was…he didn’t…. She couldn’t leave him. “Where are you going?”
She whirled to face him, her irritation plain. “I was seeking my bed before your arrival, and now I’m seeking it again. Help yourself to whiskey this one time. I got better things to do.”
Shoving to his feet, he strode to her. “Don’t just walk away when we’re discussing things.”
“We ain’t discussing nothing. You’ll be down here, waiting out the blizzard. I’ll be in my bed, doing what I was gonna before you arrived. That’s the end of it.”
Taking a step, she made to leave him. Again.
He grabbed her arm. “Don’t leave me.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” Glaring at him, she stood before the bar, her magnificent hair slipping from its pins, her breasts rising and falling.
Abruptly, his mouth went dry. Clearing his throat some, he said, “You’re supposed to offer succor to those in need.”
“We’re closed, remember?” Paint-less lips pressed tight together, she glared up at him.
They were so close he could see the faint marks of freckles on her skin.
Pearl La Monte had freckles.
A kind of haze came over him, tightening his skin and bringing with it something all-fired powerful and completely unstoppable. All the years he’d known her crashed through him, all the times she’d flirted with him and meant something else, all the times he’d seen her perform on stage and wished he could have held such fire.
Grabbing her upper arms, he hauled her against him and, ignoring her shocked gasp, he covered her mouth with his.
Author Bio:
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.
