My favorite vacation spot
is actually on our acreage here. We back up to a dairy ranch where we can see
and hear the cows and their heifers. It’s such a joy to sit on our own back
yard, under an umbrella, sipping gin and tonics as the Mamas and their babies
moo to each other. Coarsegold, California is an historic town because many of
the Chinese immigrants worked on laying the rail tracks north and south. The
name is derived from the fact that the gold that was found was not the purest,
but it was a lesser nugget, and thus the name Coarse Gold.
Another delightful town in
Italy is Abano Terme, which is the land side of Venice. The hotel is called the
Sheraton Orologio (Clock of Gold) and was the summer palace of Franz Josef of
Prussia before it was sold. One of the features is a “mud bath” over your
entire body, from the hot mud of the mountains. Guests are given a physical and
psychological exam so that they are not affected by claustrophobia. I had to
have one arm without any mud so I wouldn’t hyperventilate. The service is
grand, the view is breathtaking, and the stars are magnificent at night.
Breakfasts are feasts of fruits and grilled meats. The berries were bigger than
two thumbs and delicious. I could go on and on. I held an event there with
international guests and we had the singers from the Milan opera perform for
the main dinner event. Fortunes were told by Tarot Card Gypsies. I was sorry when I left that job!!!
***
Title: ONE NIGHT WITH A
DUKE
Series and Book # : THE DUKE SERIES
Author/pen name: SANDRA
MASTERS
Genre: REGENCY
HISTORICAL (LONG)
Publisher: The Wild Rose
Press, Tea Rose Edition
Date of Publication: June
21, 2017
ASIN:
ISBN: 978-1-5092-1478-2
Number of pages: 340
Word Count: ll0,683
Blurb:
When a spirited woman disrupts the world of a duke who follows
the rules, sparks fly, passions ignite and planets collide.
Reclusive, cold as ice,
the politically powerful Raven, Duke of Ravensmere, denies love after the
tragic deaths of his duchess and baby. He is bound by his vow never to allow
love to enter his heart again. Samantha Winston permits him to seek refuge in
her carriage in a time of need, and what started as a kiss in the name of
safety, becomes something more pleasurable and not so safe after all. In spite
of every caution, his interest escalates into unexpected desire.
Samantha, a young widow
with a secret, irreverent and high-spirited, has constructed impenetrable walls
against all men. When she and Raven meet again, strong wills clash. Political
intrigues and a dreaded nemesis place his life at risk, and Samantha finds
herself in a dire predicament. All the while, passion soars.
Can Samantha’s barriers
fall with more kisses?
Can Raven be released
from his deathbed vow?
Buy
links: One Night With A Duke
Excerpt:
“I do hope that none of the rakish kind will
offer for my basket. Men do feel widows are fair game. I’m not sure how I would
handle such rakes. I have insufficient experience, but I suppose I will have to
learn.”
“My
dear Samantha, do you expect me to believe that in these past three years, you
haven’t encountered disreputable men?” He laughed, “I do believe you will have
a sufficient amount of reputable young men
who will bid on you and your picnic basket. After all, it’s for a good cause,
isn’t it? But I do hope you will keep your conversation light, or you will
suffer the young man to have indigestion or apoplexy.”
Impishly, she said, “I deserved that. I like
your sense of humor. It’s also good to hear you laugh. We do battle well.” Perhaps he could be a man of consequence?
“Indeed, but I warn you, I have not started
my retaliation. When one acquires an enemy, I don ‘t believe in keeping him or
her closer; however, I might make an exception for you.”
“Oh, No, I’m not your enemy, Your Grace.
Please don’t consider me as one.”
“Perhaps if you try hard, you can change my
mind,” a small grin curled his lips.
“What would I have to do?” her large eyes
implored.
“I leave that to your resourcefulness…and
mine…under a starlit night with nothing but our naked imaginations.”
“Sweet heaven,” she muttered, cheeks crimson.
Author bio:
Fall in love with
Romance all over again
with author Sandra
Masters
From a humble beginning in Newark, New Jersey, a short stay
at a convent in Morristown, N.J. at the age of fourteen, Sandra Masters retired
from a fantastic career for a play broadcasting company in Carlsbad,
California, and settled in the rural foothills of the Sierras of Yosemite
National Park with her husband, Ron, and two dogs, Silky and Sophie. She traded
in the Board Rooms for the Ballrooms of the Regency Era and never looked back.
She wrote her first book at the age of thirteen and since
then she’s always traveled with pen and notebook for her writing experiences.
It’s been the journey of ten thousand miles with a few steps left to go. She
deemed it a pleasure to leave the corporate world behind decades later.
Nothing she expected, but everything she desired. Her
business card lists her occupation as Living The Dream.
Author website and social
media links:
