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NEW RELEASE - A Gentleman in Love

A Gentleman in Love

by

Arabella Sheen

A Christmas wedding and a growing passion. Will a political scandal destroy their love?

Desperate to exonerate her family name of any wrongdoing, Shelby Chesterfield gate-crashes the Foreign Office Christmas party to ask her father’s accuser for help. When Ambassador Samuel Hardwick refuses to cooperate, Shelby is determined to ruin his diplomatic career any way she can, and a chance to do so arrives sooner than she expected.

Caught in a passionate embrace, Shelby puts Sam on the spot and tells journalists they’re engaged. But her plan backfires when Sam turns the tables on her.

Sam wants no commitment to anything or anyone except his career. But when his best friends are killed in a violent terrorist attack, leaving their daughter orphaned and in his care, he has the daunting task of finding a wife and substitute mother, or he will risk losing his newly acquired ward into the foster care system. With time running out, when Shelby asks for help to clear her father’s name in a political scandal, Sam offers support in exchange for a Christmas wedding.

The trouble is…Shelby knows about his ongoing affair with Lady Donna Ruston.

Can Shelby and Sam work together to achieve their goals, or is their winter romance fated to fail before it’s begun?

Content Warning: contains sensual love scenes

A Gentleman in Love - Chapter One - Excerpt 1

Shelby Chesterfield was familiar with the layout of the building. She had been to the Foreign Office many times before, but this time was different. This time she wasn’t there to see her father, and she didn’t have an invitation.

It had been a while since Shelby had stepped through the tall, oak doors of the Foreign Office, but the place was just as imposing as she remembered. Dark wood paneling, thick pile carpets, and gleaming brass fittings were everywhere. Looking around, she felt intimidated by the grandeur of her surroundings, but the building spoke of refinement, tradition, and history.

Lifting the long, billowing skirts of her black Dior evening gown, she climbed the imposing marble stairway to the second level and walked toward the visitor’s cloakroom where she left her floor-length coat. Taking a steadying breath, Shelby studied the reception area.

The cloakroom was crowded, and the place was buzzing with noise and laughter as friends were recognized and greeted. It was past eight o’clock, and although people were still arriving, Shelby had yet to find the person she was searching for.

Holding her clutch bag firmly in her hands, she bravely passed a security guard, and unimpeded, she moved through an arched doorway and entered a stately reception area.

Shelby was on the warpath. She was at the Foreign Office for one purpose and one purpose only. She wanted justice for her father. And if she couldn’t get that, then she was prepared to ruin Sam Hardwick any way she could.

Ready to face the consequences of her actions, she was willing to do almost anything to achieve the goal she so desperately desired. And if need be, she was prepared to tarnish Sam’s name in the same way her father’s name had been blackened and disgraced beyond redemption.

Excitement filled the air. Tonight was a formal affair, and as tradition and custom dictated, black ties and ball gowns were to be worn for the Christmas party. The men were attired in tuxedos while the women, dressed to impress, were wearing long, elegant, flowing gowns, with glistening jewels shimmering about their persons.

Overhead, crystal chandeliers were sparkling brightly, and Christmas tinsel trimmings were cascading down from the high, ornate ceiling. A fir tree, with tree lights and red ribbon packages, was strategically positioned in the corner of the room, and that evening, there was a sense of rich, festive lavishness about the place.

Surveying the room, Shelby estimated there were upward of three hundred guests present, if not more, yet the one person she’d expected to see was missing from the crowd…and then she saw him.

Sam Hardwick, the ambassador, based at the United Kingdom Embassy in Washington, DC, was standing at the bar with a drink in his hand. Surrounded by a group of affluent-looking people, he was deep in conversation with a stunningly beautiful woman, and Shelby could see quite clearly that the woman was none other than Lady Donna Ruston. Sam had a fixed smile on his face and appeared to be enjoying himself.

Sam Hardwick was the type of man you couldn’t miss. He was utterly gorgeous. His height and broad shoulders drew the eye, and then there was his elusive aura of power and authority that always captured people’s attention. Men envied his commanding presence, while women…well, they were usually after only one thing, and that was Sam.

Against her better judgement, Shelby had to admit Sam was sex on legs. And purely on the physical level, just the sight of him had her body reacting. She couldn’t help it. Whenever she saw him, her stomach flipped and her heart gave that extra beat.

But tonight, the shockwaves of excitement running through her lasted only briefly. As the memory of what he had done came flooding back, she knew that deep down inside, she hadn’t, and she couldn’t, forgive him…not yet. The respect and admiration she’d once felt for Sam had gone, and in its place, a cold, icy hatred had taken over.

Sam was the man who had ruined her life. In ruining her father’s career and shaming her family, he had ultimately destroyed her very existence. Her engagement to Edgar Parker had been canceled, and any chance of happiness she thought she might have had for the future had been spoilt by Sam’s callous, cold-hearted actions.

She wanted revenge. Not just for herself, but mostly for her family.

Time was of the essence. Sam was due to fly back to America, and once there, Shelby knew he would be out of reach. As an ambassador to the British Embassy, he would be off-limits to members of the public, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to get to him. Red tape and office staff would make it impossible for them to speak, so tonight was her only chance for a showdown.

Deciding now was the time to act, Shelby glanced stealthily over her shoulder to see if the coast was clear, and with no one to stop her, she set about putting her plan into action. Taking strong, confident strides, she crossed the great expanse of the room, determined to reach Sam’s side unhindered. And she did.

An immense sense of achievement came over her, and then daringly, and with more nerve than she could have imagined, she slipped her arm possessively through his. She was behaving as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to cling to him. But it wasn’t. She would rather be anywhere but where she was at that moment.

Trying to ignore Lady Donna, Shelby smiled coolly up into Sam’s dark gray eyes, and said, “I’m so pleased I caught you before you went into dinner. I thought I might have missed you.”

Shelby felt Sam stiffen. There was an instant glint of recognition shining in his eyes, and it was a relief to know he wasn’t going to create a scene. And then, with lightning speed, she saw him recover from her unexpected appearance, and a mask of indifferent coolness came down, covering his face as his guard went up.

A Gentleman in Love

Copyright © 2022, Arabella Sheen

ISBN: 978-0-9575698-9-8 

Publisher: priceplacebooks

Electronic Publication: January 2022

Editor: Pamela Tyner

Cover: Fantasia Frog Designs

eBooks are not transferable. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

About Arabella Sheen

Arabella Sheen - Author

Arabella Sheen is a British author of contemporary romance and likes nothing more than the challenge of starting a new novel with fresh ideas and inspiring characters.

One of the many things Arabella loves to do is to read. And when she’s not researching or writing about romance, she is either on her allotment sowing and planting with the seasons or she is curled on the sofa with a book, while pandering to the demands of her attention-seeking cat.

Having lived and worked in the Netherlands as a theatre nurse for nearly twenty years, she now lives in the south-west of England with her family.

Arabella hopes her readers have as much pleasure from her romance stories as she has in writing them.

Social Media

Website: http://www.arabellasheen.co.uk/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/ArabellaSheen

Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/ArabellaSheenAuthor

A Gentleman in Love

          

UNIVERSAL BUY LINKS - Amazon - Nook - Kobo - Smashwords, etc.

WEBSITE  

  

HIS MISTRESS - Arabella Sheen - NEW RELEASE

SHARING THE NEWS ... 

I'm delighted to reveal my latest Evernight Publishing erotic romance - HIS MISTRESS is now available for you to read.

BUY LINKS:

Arabella's Website:

Evernight Publishing 

Books2Read

HIS MISTRESS - Arabella Sheen

BLURB
     Anna is horny, and when her best friend suggests they paint the town red, Anna goes along with the idea. With Ben, her seven-year-old son away at a sleepover, it could be her only chance to get laid.
     Anna isn’t after a serious relationship or a romantic involvement with a guy. All she wants is a one-night stand and plenty of sex, and Dan Holland, a handsome stranger she meets at a bar, might be the solution to her problem.
     Can Dan fulfill Anna's physical needs or will he invade her emotional safe space and become entangled in her life?

EXCERPT
The barman brought their drinks over. “There you go, Dan,” he said. “And I take it you’ll want a Friday night special?”
Dan winked. “You know me too well, Kev.”
While Anna and Dan talked, and without her being aware of it happening, Dan had rested his hand on her leg and was subtly rolling his fingers back and forth. He was playing with the hem of her skirt, and while caressing and teasing her with his touch, he gave a gentle rasp of a fingernail against her skin, and had her heart rate soaring.
With the lights in the club dimmed, she wasn’t too concerned about who might look in their direction. Dan’s muscular width concealed her from potential onlookers. But she was worried the blond on the barstool next to him might look over his shoulder and watch as his finger’s caressed her thighs.
“What’s a Friday night special?” she asked.
“A Friday night special is a fast-food takeaway,” Dan explained. “If I don’t get a chance to eat and the guys have already gone, the kitchen usually prepares something for me. Then it’s an early night … and bed.”
Dare I say it? Would he think me too forward? Go for it…
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” she said. “What would you say if I suggested I join you?”
So far, he hadn’t kissed her. He hadn’t touched her lips. All he’d done was caress her thighs and she wanted more … now.
“It looks like you’re going to make me miss my supper. Come on. Let’s go,” he said.
He reached into his pocket and flipped open his wallet. Extracting his card, he paid the bill, and as they gathered their things together and prepared to leave, Kev returned from the kitchen with a white carrier bag. The bag rustled as it was placed on the bar.
“Your supper,” Kev said. “And enjoy what’s left of the evening.”
Without any hesitation, Dan smiled and winked. “Oh, I’m sure we shall.”
Placing a hand to the small of her back, he steered her toward the door of the club and she wondered what the remainder of the night would bring. Surely it couldn’t be wrong to indulge her desires for just one night.

BUY LINKS:

Arabella's Website:

Evernight Publishing:

Books2Read

HIS WOMAN and HIS MISTRESS are available now...  arabellasheen.co.uk  

Welcome to Romance Author - Peri Elizabeth Scott

I’m delighted to welcome Peri Elizabeth Scott to my blog.

Hello Peri – When I discover the long list of genres you write in, astonished isn't the word. More like flabbergasted! Erotic, paranormal, fantasy, post apoc, sci-fi, historical, contemporary, Y.A., BDSM, menage, May/December, older heroine, and R.H. romance. WOW!   But before we discover more about your latest release - CinderElla-ish - here are a few questions that will hopefully give your readers and followers an insight into some of the things that matter to you.

Arabella: Authors can release books, making them available to readers in various ways … via an agent, or working directly with a traditional publisher, or they can even go the self-publishing route. Which method of publishing do you prefer, and why?

Peri: I’ve done both, and at this point, I prefer traditional publishing. My pubs treat me well.  I self-publish books that I either want control over insofar as the cover and some content go. So far, they are in the minority.

Arabella: Who or what inspired you to write your latest release CinderElla-ish?

Peri: A girl’s night out! We were talking about soul mates and if lust camouflages true love. CinderElla-ish is my answer.

Arabella: If the person of your dreams (husband/wife/partner/or superstar) were to take you out for the night, where would they take you, and what would you do?

Peri: A nice dinner, followed by a couples’ massage and a night in a high-end hotel.

Arabella: Who or what chases away your blues?

Peri: Odie, Jorja and Nod. My rescue cats.

  

Arabella: Currently, what is your most favourite T.V. programme, and why?

Peri: I don’t watch T.V. as a rule, but I like the Kids’ Baking Championship.

Arabella: When writing a book or chapter, which do you concentrate on first: plot, character, or setting?

Peri: I have to say a character within an incident.

Arabella: How do you research your novels and characters?

Peri: My muse supplies the idea, and I run with it like all pantsers. I then turn to the ’net for the unknown or call a friend. I have raised some eyebrows with the latter!

Arabella: A slice of Chocolate Cake, a piece of Fruit, or Burger and Fries?

Peri: Chocolate cake!!

Arabella: What advice would you give to someone who is starting out on their writing journey?

Peri: There are a couple of Golden rules: NO HEAD HOPPING! Research that. It’s one thing that can get your book rejected. 

Secondly, use spellcheck or an editing program to review your work—there are free ones—and learn as you go along, so your book doesn’t need nearly as much polishing.

Find a few someones you trust to read your work and give feedback, and swallow your pride. If they are honest, it’s gonna sting at times. (Prepares you for those judgey reviews later.)

Above all, get those words down.

Thank you for being a super guest on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat, Peri. I’m left wondering how you find the time to write with such a busy life caring for your rescue and feral cats. Wishing you all the best for your latest release - CinderElla-ish

Arabella

www.arabellasheen.co.uk

About Peri Elizabeth Scott

Peri Elizabeth Scott, aka Allyson Young, lives in cottage country, Manitoba, Canada, where she and her husband pretend to work well together in their seasonal business.

She has always enjoyed the written word, and after reading an erotic romance, quite by mistake, decided to try her hand at penning one. That was followed by a mix of spicy (Ally) and sweeter (Peribeth) romances in various genres, as well as a post-apocalyptic adventure without a lick of romance by Peribeth.

A bestselling Amazon author, a hybrid, and a coauthor, as of September 2021, after ten years of writing, she has published over 70 books, including eight series and several standalones, with others in the works.

 

Social Media

www.perielizabethscott.com

https://www.facebook.com/sweetnspicyauthor/

 

 

Blurb:  CinderElla-ish

 

 

It’s Vegas, but what are the odds that a one-night stand is your soulmate?

When Ella wakes up alone the morning after an amazing—and intimate—night with Rhys, her heart refuses to accept that he used her.

When Rhys returns to their room to find Ella gone, and all he has left of her is a slipper, his heart can’t believe their time together didn’t mean as much to her.

Indeed, they were the victims of a simple misunderstanding.

They both grapple with the loss and turn to work to cope, hiding behind pride. Rhys then decides to seek Ella out but can’t trace her, not that he’s giving up. Ella gathers the courage to contact Rhys—and tell him they made a baby together.

Initially awkward, their reunion quickly supports what their hearts already know: they’re soulmates and meant to be together.

 

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com//dp/B09HSSKBMS

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/cinderella-ish-2

https://www.bookstrand.com/book/cinderella-ish 

Welcome to Romance Author - Jade Marshall

I’m delighted to welcome Jade Marshall to my blog.

Jade Marshall - Author

Hello Jade – I’m so pleased we managed to connect and arrange a date for your blog spot. And I’m also keen to unearth some of your personal secrets and learn about the things that make your readers ask for more of your stories. But before we discover more about your latest release, Not His Mate, here are a few questions that will hopefully give your readers and followers an insight into some of the things that matter to you.

Arabella: How did you manage to get your first novel published and what did you learn from the experience?

Jade: My first novel wasn’t just simply a novel. It was a vindication of a dream. It took me five years to write The Wolf (Book 1 of the GBMC) and throughout those years only three people knew what I was doing. I had myself convinced that it was an unachievable dream and that I would never be published.

Through the writing, I did a TON of research, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to self-publish. I know myself and I wouldn’t be able to do all of this on my own. By that time I had two publishing houses that I wanted to submit to and Evernight Publishing was my first choice.

About a month after submitting The Wolf to Evernight Publishing I finally gathered the nerve to tell my husband. He was supportive as always but being the realist that he is reminded me that not everyone gets signed. 

When I received my feedback from Evernight Publishing I wasn’t contracted but I was asked to revise and resubmit. That took me another year, but I finally did it and haven’t looked back since.

 

Arabella: The T.V. is on and you’re in control of the remote. Which would it be?

1)     A quiz programme

2)     An afternoon of sport

3)     A family soap

4)     A romantic film you always wanted to see but missed when it was shown at the cinema?

Jade: None of the above. Mostly I like to watch procedural dramas or something more horror/thriller related. It helps that the husband and I have the same taste in shows so there aren’t many fights about the remote.

 

Arabella: Who or what inspired you to write your latest release, Not his Mate ?

Jade: I have an entire series built in my mind. I have always loved paranormal romance and wanted to be part of that world building. I love the alpha heroes, the fated mates, and the family that comes with being part of the pack.

Arabella: Roses, Lilies, or another flower of choice?

Jade: I love Arum Lilys. In Afrikaans (my first language) they are called Vark Ore which directly translates into Pigs Ears. My husband has planted the white variety in a pot beside our front door for me after I kept killing the red ones.

Red and White Lilies

Arabella: Which authors or what books have influenced your writing?

Jade: Most of my reading habits were influenced by cousin Heliza and my mother. Heliza used to read horror and suspense including Dean Koontz and my mother was more on the romance side with authors like Danielle Steel and Catherine Cookson. I think that may be why my romance is on the darker side. I have a love for Tiffany Reisz, Stephen King, Sam Crescent, Wilbur Smith, and many others that I have discovered for myself over the years

Arabella: Some authors write at first light, others need a mug of coffee or a glass of wine before putting pen to paper. When writing, are there any “essentials” you need to help the words flow?

Jade: I can’t force myself to write. I have tried it and everything I put down is sucky. So I tend to write when inspiration hits. I am mostly a night writer. My husband will sit playing Xbox while I write on the couch. I do need coffee quite often and I am a smoker so those are also always nearby.

Arabella: You’re halfway through the work-in-progress and you’re stuck! If you had to contact an “author/publisher/editor friend” for guidance, who would it be?

Jade: I have the best Beta reader ever. Her name is Jessica. If I’m ever stuck or not feeling where the story is headed, I will just walk over to her house, have a cup of coffee, and talk it out. She is my biggest supporter besides my family and gets all riled up about things like bad reviews or people not understanding my work. She motivates me and gives me hell when I slack off too much.

Jessica is always the first to know if I am working on something new. She is my soundboard, my support system, and a great friend. It helps that the husbands like each other. Lol.

Arabella: If you could choose, which would it be?

1)     A walk in the woods

2)     A walk along a beachfront to dip your toes in the sea

3)     A day shopping for clothes

Jade: The beach by far although I don’t like the ocean. I am terrified of the waves so I don’t go into the water, but I am more than happy to sit and read while having a cocktail.

Arabella: Do you have any great writing, publishing, or marketing tips you’d like to share with “want-to-be” authors starting out on their writing journey?

Jade: There is so much I have learnt in the last year!

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Your work isn’t for everyone and not all reviews are going to be good. Breath, read it again, and use any criticism that was constructive. Forget the rest.

Editing, Cover design, Promoting, and everything that goes with launching a book is important. Don’t skimp on those things.

Social media is more important than you think. You are your own greatest advocate and promoter, and no one will do as much effort to see your work do well as you will.

 

Thank you so much for joining me on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat, Jade. You’ve been an amazing guest, and I have to say that love the sound of your supportive Beta reader, Jessica, and the fact she lives so close to you.

Wishing you all the best for your latest release Not His Mate

Arabella

www.arabellasheen.co.uk

 

ABOUT  JADE MARSHALL

 

Jade Marshall - Author

 

I am a South African author from the Northern Cape. Finally found someone to take a chance and me and now I am published (yaaaay). Since I was a little girl, I have loved reading and telling stories. I never dreamed that anyone else would like my stories. Luckily, I have a great support system. People who support me and pushed me to chase my dreams.

I am the mother of a 15-year-old blonde girl, who still thinks her mom is cool even though she is now a teenager. A loving, hard-ass, biker husband who constantly puts up with my insanity and supports everything I do. Our other children include an American red-nosed Pitbull (Lesnar), a German Rottweiler (Tyson) and a fox terrier (Patches).

I try to keep them all alive and happy and mostly succeed. Although my cooking skills do need a lot of work

 

My Genres

This is a little trickier than I thought it would be because I find that I write what I am feeling in that moment but here is the shortlist!

·        MC Romance

·        Dark Romance

·        Paranormal Romance

 

Social Media Link

https://linktr.ee/jmarshall.author

All my social media links are available through Link Tree including newsletter signup, website, Facebook, Instagram, and more!

 

Not His Mate         (Book 2)        Katu Wolves Series 

Book Blurb

When a wolf shifter finds their fated mate their entire world changes. There is nothing on earth you wouldn’t do to keep your mate by your side, happy and safe. But what happens when your fated mate is already mated to someone else?

Calum Beckett, Beta to the Katu wolf pack, has finally found his fated mate in Talon Quinn. The only problem is that she already has a mate. Trying to stay away from Talon is pulling him apart and driving his wolf to the brink of insanity. But what choice does he have?

Talon has moved to the Katu Pack with her mate Parker, but Parker isn’t her true mate, but someone she was forced to mate by her previous Alpha. When she finds her fated mate her life is thrown even further into chaos. Difficult choices lie ahead, and no matter which path she chooses, pain is inevitable.

How much pain are you willing to cause? How will either mate react to choices that Talon make? Can anyone have their happily ever after? 

RELEASE DATE: 29 October 2021

BUY LINKS:

Evernight Publishing

Jade Marshall's Website 

Amazon US

Amazon UK