Today I am pleased to announce
the release of
Dead Set Delphinia
Book 11 and my fourth
book in the series,
Sweethearts of Jubilee
Springs
About Dead Set Delphinia:
Being pressured by her father to marry
his New York business associate whom she detests, Delphinia Blakewell, using
the alias Delia Brownlee, secretly starts a correspondence with two miners in
Jubilee Springs she contacted through the Colorado Bridal Agency. After her
letters are discovered by her father, her mother sees to it she is confined to
her room for three months. Only when she agrees to the wedding they wish for
her is she allowed more freedom—freedom that leads to a startling discovery
about her fiancé.
Delphinia flees to Colorado, using
another alias, Sarah Brown, only to discover one miner she wrote to married
another bride, and the other was killed in a shootout. However, she is dead set
on being married and in her own home to avoid what awaits her should her father
track her down. She wants to find her own miner to marry, but the owner of the
bridal agency has other ideas.
Bennett Nighy makes furniture for his
store in Jubilee Springs. He also makes caskets, and, by default, has assumed
the job of town mortician. He enjoys his solitude. He is dead set on not
complicating his life by getting married. However, he is terrible at keeping
books, helping customers choose the proper furniture pieces, and he could use
some help with the town’s decedents. Still, he might have been able to continue
muddling through life on his own if only he hadn’t attended the town’s harvest
dance.
Excerpt:
Delphinia
Blakewell inhaled as deeply as her tightly-cinched corset would allow, pasted a
self-confident smile and her face, and strode with purpose towards the counter.
The corner of her lips turned up even more as she noticed it was the young
clerk manning the counter. He did not look at her with an air of suspicion the
way the postmaster did.
Delphinia spoke to his turned back.
“Good morning. Do you have mail for Delia Brownlee?”
The young man’s shoulders stiffened.
He reached for two letters and turned slowly. “Yes, Miss Brownlee, but I’ve
been instructed….” His eyes flickered to someone or something behind her on the
left side.
Delphinia knew without looking. Someone
had followed her, probably one of her father’s minions. He must be behind her.
Delphinia reached forward and grabbed
the letters out of the clerk’s hands. Undoing her top button on the neckband of
her stand-up collar with one hand, she stuffed the letters down her front. She
rebuttoned her clothing and twirled around as Emery Garland, one of her
father’s assistants, stopped within three feet of her.
Garland held out his hand. “I’ll take
those, Miss Blakewell. I have instructions from your father….”
“You will not take them, Mr. Garland,
unless you plan to assault my person in a public place. They belong to me.”
The man huffed with irritation. “Miss
Blakewell, please do not be difficult.”
Delphinia raised her voice. “I am not
being difficult, Mr. Garland. I am taking care of my personal business in a peaceful manner. It is you who are
accosting me, making demands you have no right….”
“Your
personal business, Miss Blakewell? You asked for mail for Delia Brownlee, which
is not your name. Your parents wish to know why you are coming to a borough in
which you have no business being, and posing as someone you are not, in order
to exchange clandestine mail with men of suspicious origins and intents.”
“With whom I correspond is none of
your business, Mr. Garland. And there is nothing in my correspondence that
should be viewed as suspicious. It is a private matter, and I will thank you to
leave me alone. Go back to my father and tell him he has more important things
to worry about than having my every move followed.”
“Miss Blakewell, Your mother would be
mortified if she knew of your conduct today.”
“Let my mother be mortified. It would
serve her right.” Although Delphinia muttered the statement under her breath,
she knew Emery Garland heard her.
“Don’t make me forcefully take them
from you. He stepped closer, straightening to his full height in attempt to
intimidate her. However, at five feet, eight inches tall, she refused to be
intimidated by his height which exceeded hers by only an inch considering the
two inch heels on her boots she wore.
By now, a crowd in the postal building
stood around gawking at the scene, hanging onto every word. Delphinia played to
them, believing her best chance for safety lay in not being alone with her
father’s man. “Forcefully take them in what manner, Mr. Garland? Do you plan to
strip me in a public place? To rip my clothing from my body? To illegally take
what is mine?” Delphinia turned to the clerk who now watched them open-mouthed,
his eyes wide with astonishment. “Quick! Call for the constable. This man
intends me harm.”
Garland snorted with disgust and
addressed the clerk. “You’ll do no such thing, young man. My boss, Mr. Franklin
Blakewell, is well-known in this city. He has connections with all of New
York’s politicians, state and federal. He will not only have your job, but will
have your boss’s postmaster position. It was bad enough your postmaster took
his position so seriously he refused to hand me these letters directly. Do not
make matters worse by interfering with my job of returning Miss Blakewell to
her parents.”
Delphinia watched the young man step
back. There would be no help from him. The others in the building looked on
with rapt interest until she caught their eye. Then each turned away, unwilling
to help. She turned and glared defiantly at her adversary. “You have no right
to take me anywhere without my consent. I am of age, Mr. Garland. I have the
right to go where I please.”
Shaking his head, Emery Garland
stepped forward and grabbed her elbow. “The way your father sees it, as long as
you live under his roof, you follow his rules. He will not be pleased when he
hears about this. He does not like you upsetting your mother.” His fingers and
thumb pressed on the nerve in her elbow enough to cause her discomfort. She
quickly realized if she did not go with him, he would increase the pressure
until the pain would become unbearable.
Dead Set Delphinia is being offered at the release day sale price of $.99 through
Sunday, October 1st. After that time, the book will go to its regular price.
Dead
Set Delphinia, at just under sixty-seven thousand words, is my first full novel
in the series. To
purchase Dead Set Delphinia from
Amazon, please CLICK HERE.
The book is also available on Kindle Unlimited. The print
version will be available soon.
I have available three other novellas in the Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs series.
Book 3: Aaron’sAnnulment Bride
Book 6: Cat's Meow
Book 7: Bargain Bessie
~o0o~
To read and enjoy all of the books in the Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs series, please sign up and follow us on Amazon by CLICKING HERE.
