Misrule's Mistress Competition

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Update - Misrule's Mistress is now available from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Misrules-Mistress-ebook/dp/B00AWJ22PU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357276053&sr=1-1

All Romace Ebooks
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-misrule039smistress-1036761-161.html

Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/271207

Well, just as I promised the competition is now open! (okay, so I'm posting this a few hours early... but I won't tell, if you don't!)

To celebrate the 20^thDecember release of my medieval Christmas novella, Misrule’s Mistress, I have put together a competition. The competition will run from the 24^th December to the 5^th of January 2013. As some of you may know, I do have a fondness for jewellery... so I thought I would spread the love around. I’m giving away a string of white freshwater pearls. The individual pearls range from about 8mm – 9mm, the string is 18” long with a gold plated clasp. The pearls are individually knotted and strung on silk. Added to that, there is also an advanced reader’s copy of Misrule’s Mistress.

 

As my story is set over the twelve days of Christmas, I decided that’s when I’m running the competition.

So it starts on Christmas Eve and finishes on the 5^th January 2013 (midnight)

 

                                     To be in the running you must leave...

· Your name

 

· Your email address

 

· And the answer to this question – “What is the name of Ellette’s horse?” (check  out the extract below)

 The Comment button is located at the very end of this post.

All valid entries will be placed into my top hat (circa 1880’s and according to the label – Johnson & Co Hatters to the Queen & HRH the Prince of Wales. 113 Regent Street, London) and a random winner will be drawn. The draw will be held on the 7^thJanuary 2013 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Top Hat modelled here by Alannah –

 

The contest is open worldwide, but please only one entry per person – thanks J

Misrule’s Mistress, along with my other stories are available from Pink Petal Books

http://pinkpetalbooks.com/

You can also find them on Amazon, Barnes& Noble, Coffee Time Romance, Diesel eBooks, Smashwords, Book Strand & All Romance Books. And in another week or so, Misrule will be uploaded to all of the above sites as well.

 

So I hope you will all enjoy a little medieval Christmas cheer and good luck!

Nicóle xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

 

Extract from Misrule’s Mistress

A familiar flare of excitement shot through Ellette’s body as Cranley Castle came into view. It was a sight that she never tired of, Cranley was not the largest castle in the land but in her opinion it was the prettiest. Two elegant towers rose towards the heavens and the grey stone walls looked almost silver in the pale sun. Above the towers flew the Cranley pennant, a hawk flying between the twin towers in a blue shield on a white background.  There was a thin veil of snow covering the ground, which made Cranley look as if it was from an enchanted dream rather than the home of Barric Cranley. They had known each other for longer than she could remember – he was her friend, the constant in her life, but above all he was her fiercest competitor.

            “Well my child, Cranley looks as fair as ever,” Lord Gelsey said as his horse drew alongside hers.

            “Aye Father, she does.”

            “No doubt you and Barric will spend the winter festival trying to best each other,” he said with a laugh.

            “Aye, no doubt,” Ellette said with a smile and her grey eyes sparkled with amusement. “And I intend to win.”

            “You always do, although I believe Barric will have something to say about that. I suspect that he will challenge you to a hunt once again.”

            “I believe that is his plan, ‘twas merely luck that saw him win last time.”

            “You can challenge him soon enough. Come, our host will be expecting us.”

            “Very well Father, but I wager that I can ride into the courtyard before you!”

Ellette laughed as she spurred her horse on. “Make haste, Elflin,” she cooed into the ear of her dapple grey mare. “Make haste, Barric awaits us.”  She felt Elflin’s pace increase to a gallop and heard the horse’s hooves beat out a rhythm on the snow scattered road. The icy wind blew in her face and tugged at the fur hood of her green woollen cloak. She was filled with happiness; a mixture of the exhilaration of the ride, the sense of freedom it gave her and the prospect of seeing Barric again. Elflin clattered over the wooden drawbridge and into the outer bailey of Cranley Castle.

 

 

 Misrule's Mistress Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVMS4wcQAxk

 

Misrule's Mistress Release Day!!!

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Hi everyone,
Misrule's Mistress is here! Grab a copy from Pink Petal Books.
http://pinkpetalbooks.com/Misrule-s-Mistress-by-Nicole-Hurley-Moore.html

And don't forget the competition which runs from the 24th Dec - 5th Jan.

I'm over at the Australian Romance Readers having a release day chat. Hope you can drop by!
http://australianromancereaders.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/release-day-misrules-mistress/

She’s refused him once but with a golden ring, a Christmas feast and a little cunning, Lord Barric Cranley intends to catch his bride.

Here's a snippet.

 

“If I were sure that you loved me, if you would accept my offer, I would wait if I knew how long.”Barric slowly closed his fingers over the ring and let his hand fall down by his side.

“I cannot tell you, for I do not know – a year, two... or three.”

“But after all these long years, would you then marry me?”

“I do not know, Barric; I do not know what to say. I am confused and do not know what I want or feel,” she said as went to walk away but Barric caught her arm and she turned her head and looked at him.

“You kissed me back, Ellette.”

“I know, I know I did... but...”

“Then without an answer I cannot wait for you, Ellette, no matter how much I want to,” Barric said as his hand slid down her cheek. “If I cannot have you, it matters little who I take for a wife. And because of that, I vow I will be married by the Feast of Epiphany.”

Arching a brow, Ellette replied, “Are brides so easily found?”

“I want you, Ellette, but if you do not wish me for a husband and cast me aside, I will be forced to find a bride elsewhere.”

 

“By the end of our winter festivities?”

“Aye,” Barric said.

“I fear you have taken our games and challenges too far. For whom will you marry... the kitchen maid, or the weaver’s daughter? I am the only eligible maid at Cranley, and I say nay.”

“Mayhap, but I will be married by midnight at the feast.”

“In twelve days?” Torn and confused, Ellette stared at Barric. Part of her wanted to cry that perhaps she had been too hasty, perhaps one day, far away, she would marry him. Mixed with that, she was annoyed and hurt that he would think she was so easily replaced; and lastly, a hint of competitiveness reared its head. She almost wanted to take his challenge and wager that it would be impossible to marry in twelve days.

“Aye – I swear it,” Barric said as he turned and returned to the feast, leaving Ellette alone with her riotous thoughts.

 www.nicolehurley-moore.com

Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop

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Hi everyone,

Thanks for joining the Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop. Hope you are having fun discovering new stories and new authors.

So when I think of Christmas, why is it that my mind wanders off to a picture perfect Dickensian scene full of carriages, snow and carollers? Maybe I read The Christmas Carol once too often as a child. It’s kind of silly when the majority of my Christmases have been far from white. Christmas in Australia is generally hot (and you can take that anyway you like!). No seriously, the mercury climbs and more often than not we swelter in 45 degree heat (that’s Celsius which I think equates to about 113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Christmas dinner can mean anything from a picnic at the beach, firing up the barbie in the back yard and cold buffets. Some brave a hot Christmas dinner, although I can only imagine that they have fantastic air conditioning. It’s filled with ice, water fights, Pavlovas and ice cream Christmas pudding. The sun beats down and you can smell the dry grass as the heat rises.

Wherever you are, I hope that you are happy and safe over this holiday period.

 

I’m giving away a pdf copy of Capturing Bliss. Please leave your name and email address to be in the draw.
All valid entries will be placed into my top hat (circa 1880’s and according to the label – Johnson & Co Hatters to the Queen & HRH the Prince of Wales. 113 Regent Street, London) and a random winner will be drawn.
Top hat modelled by Alannah -

 

Of course by doing this you are also entered into the Holidays Gifts of Love major draw. Check out these amazing prizes! The competition is open to everyone but the 3^rd prize is only available to U.S. residents (the postage is too high to send overseas).

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

GOOD LUCK!


The comment button is located at the very end of this post

To return to Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop please click link below.

http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com.au/p/holiday-gifts-of-love.html

Capturing Bliss

In 12th-century England, love isn't part of the marriage equation. But Lady Blissot de Woodville adores her younger sister too much to see her suffer such a fate. Instead, Bliss recklessly switches places with her sister—and marries a total stranger under false pretenses! Fortunately, she soon discovers she shares a rare passion and genuine love with her new husband, the ardent Lord William Reynard. Yet the happier Bliss becomes, the more her secret weighs heavily on her heart...because one desperate lie could destroy everything she's come to cherish.

 

Show More Show Less

http://www.amazon.com/Capturing-Bliss-ebook/dp/B0078V5DYC/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355397654&sr=1-2

 

My new Christmas novella, Misrule’s Mistress will be released on the 20^th December by Pink Petal Books. I hope you will check it out. It is a medieval tale which is set during the Twelve Days of Christmas.

http://pinkpetalbooks.com/Nicole-Hurley-Moore/

 

Misrule’s Mistress

She has refused him once but with a golden ring, the Feast of Misrule and a little cunning, Lord Barric Cranley intends to catch his bride.

 www.nicolehurley-moore.com

 

Images

Bigstock

Covers by Tibbs Design.

Misrule's Mistress Trailer

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Hi everyone,

Here's the link to the trailer for Misrule's Mistress. My son put it together... thanks Conor  x

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVMS4wcQAxk&feature=youtu.be

The images are from Bigstock and Fotolia. The music by Kevin MacLeod and the cover by Tibbs Design.

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

Misrule's Mistress

Hi everyone,
                     I just received the cover for Misrule's Mistress and I think it's absolutely beautiful!

Misrule's Mistress is due for release from Pink Petal Books on the 20th December - just in time for Christmas.

 The cover was conjured by Tibbs Design.

Historical Hearts

Hi everyone,
                     Today I'm over at Historical Hearts talking about the medieval Christmas. I hope you will come on over and say hello.

http://historicalhearts.blogspot.com.au/

 

If you haven't visited Historical Hearts before, why not drop by and take a look.

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

A Medieval View of Marriage Part III

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Hi everyone,
                    This is the final part on medieval marriage. As I said at the start, it is a broad subject and we have only touched the surface.


The questions of consanguinity and consent created conflict between the Church and the other orders of society. As I mentioned in an earlier part of these posts, the Church banned incest. This meant marriage between cousins up to the sixth extent, but they also believed that people formed a kinship tie to anyone they had a sexual relationship with. This kinship tie then encompassed the former lover's family as well. A hypothetical example of this would be, if two brothers from one family wished to marry two sister from another, only one couple could marry. By the first couple's marriage the remaining unwed pair would be considered brother and sister, and therefore if they wed it would have been considered incest.

Both the nobility and the peasants wished to reject these laws. In the case of the nobility, many of their arranged marriages were based on increasing their property and wealth, and in some cases to form alliances. The laws of consanguinity thwarted their plans.

For peasant families, these laws totally restricted their options in marriage. If we consider a small village, a person was quite possibly already linked by marriage or kinship to over half of its population.

For sections of the nobility it was possible to appeal to the Church and the Pope. They could buy a dispensation which would allow them to marry their chosen partner, even if they fell into the category of incest. This, however was not an option for the poor.

Consent was another area which caused friction between the Church and its people. The Church stated that consent was the most important aspect of marriage, as it was a vow between two people and God. Whereas families (both peasantry & nobility) believed that this would lead to the young refusing to carry out family wishes and a rise in clandestine marriages. In response, the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 ordered that marriage banns should be called in the churches of the bride and groom prior to the wedding.

From the 12th century on, Church enforced priestly celibacy. Priests were not to be married or enter into any sexual relation, instead they were to spend their lives in contemplation of the spirit and not their flesh. This was an attempt to set the clergy apart from the other members of society. However, priestly concubinage remained common. Chidren of priests were considered bastards and could not inherit any property and the priest's mistress had no social standing.

In conclusion, both nobles and peasants followed the teachings and laws of the Holy Roman Church in belief but in daily practice deviated from it. In other words the ideals of the Church on virginity, chastity and consanguinity were at times just too hard to live up to.

So ends the third and final part on medieval marriage. I hope that you found it interesting.

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com
sources
Religion in the Medieval West by Bernard Hamilton
The Ties that Bound by Barbara Hanawalt
Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas.
Image from the Public Domain.

Misrule’s Mistress Competition Coming soon

Please click date button to view whole post.

Hi everyone,

                     To celebrate the 20^th December release of my medieval Christmas novella, Misrule’s Mistress, I have put together a competition. The competition will run from the 24^th December to the 5^th of January 2013. As some of you may know, I do have a fondness for jewellery... so I thought I would spread the love around. I’m giving away a string of white freshwater pearls. The individual pearls range from about 8mm – 9mm, the string is 18” long with a gold plated clasp. The pearls are individually knotted and strung on silk. Added to that, there is also an advanced reader’s copy of Misrule’s Mistress.

 

As my story is set over the twelve days of Christmas, I decided that’s when I’m running the competition. So it starts on Christmas Eve and finishes on the 5^th January 2013.

To be in the running I need...

·        Your name

·        Your email address

·        And the answer to this question – “What is the name of Ellette’s horse?”

All valid entries will be placed into my top hat (circa 1880’s and according to the label – Johnson & Co Hatters to the Queen & HRH the Prince of Wales. 113 Regent Street, London) and a random winner will be drawn. The draw will be held on the 7^th January 2013 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Top Hat modelled  here by Alannah -

 

She’s refused him once but with a golden ring, a Christmas feast and a little cunning, Lord Barric Cranley intends to catch his bride.

I’ll post an extract on Christmas Eve on my blog, but for those who can’t wait, Misrule’s Mistress will be available as an eBook from Pink Petal Books from the 20^th December *wink*

http://pinkpetalbooks.com/

The contest is open worldwide, but please only one entry per person – thanks J

So I hope you will all enjoy a little medieval Christmas cheer and good luck!

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com 
 

 

A Medieval View of Marriage Part II

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Hi everyone,
                    So here is the second post on medieval marriage. This time we are looking at the peasant's perspective and how the views of the Church and that of the nobility effected them.


In addition to the Church teachings, the wishes of the feudal lords were also influential and must be acknowledged as a power over peasant marriages. The feudal lord had a vested interest when it came to whom a peasant wanted to marry. If a peasant woman married a free man , the lord would not only lose a worker but also a producer of serf children.

Another aspect that effected peasant marriages was the seasons. Generally speaking, marriages did not take place during the harvest or winter. So peasant marriage could be seen as being tied to the rhythm of the seasons.

The Church saw virginity as a highly desired state before marriage, however the issue of premartial sex and illegitimate birth was more accepted in daily village life. Premartial pregnancy was seen as a prelude to marriage, as children were so important to the economy that some couples wanted to be sure of fertility. Infants and small children could be seen as a drain on the peasant household or domus, but once they matured, the offspring could work and bring prosperity to the home through marriage. Another factor was that adult children could care for their ageing parents.

Lords turned the situation of premartial sex and birth to their advantage by fining women a Legerwrite / Lechewytt charge (premartial sex) and a Childwrite charge (children out of wedlock). An example of this can be found on January 1316 in Wakefield, where the young women were rounded up and fined for being deflowered or being married without a license. One case recorded is that of Juliana, daughter of John Sibbeson; who was deflowered before she was married and had not yet paid her lechewytt or merchet (similar to a modern day marriage license).


The medieval marriage service itself, was an adaptation of the ancient Roman civil rite of marriage. The ceremony generally took place on the Church steps or porch, which suggested that it was not in origin a church service and the role of officiating priest was simply that of chief witness. The medieval service did not differ very much from what is used today.

           "I... take thee... to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death us do part, if holy Church will ordain, and thereto I plight thee my troth."

After the bride had plighted her troth in simliar words, the groom placed gold, silver and a ring on a plate. This was blessed by the priest and then the groom continued...

          "With this ring I thee wed, and this gold and silver I thee give; and with my body I thee worship and with all my wordly chattels I thee endow. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

To truly solemnise the proceedings a mass could then be held within the church.


So, ends part 2 of the medieval view of marriage. Hope you found it interesting.

Nicóle xx

 www.nicolehurley-moore.com
 

Examples taken from Religion in the Medieval West by Bernard Hamilton and The Ties That Bound by Barbara Hanawalt.
Image Istock Photo

Website Revamp

Hi everyone,
                    Just thought I would let you know that my website has been revamped.
 
Hope you will nick on over and check it out.

                     www.nicolehurley-moore.com

The newsletter isn't up & running yet. We are still tinkering with it... sorry.

I really like the image of the snowy forest emerging from the book... very fairytale!

 Cheers,

              Nicóle  xx

A Medieval View of Marriage

Hi everyone,

Please click date button to view entire post.

                     As some of you may know, I have a thing for the medieval period. I love it all, including the dark and twisty bits. I thought that I may intersperse my blog with a series of posts on aspects of the Middle Ages. So, we are jumping off with the medieval view of marriage. It’s a broad subject and we are just touching the surface. Generally we are looking at England and France during the 12^th and 13^th centuries.

Medieval society was divided into three distinct groups (known as estates).

1.      Those who prayed. (Church)

2.      Those who fought.  (Nobility)

3.      And everybody else. (Peasants)

And all three had very different ideas about marriage.

 

Okay, so according to the medieval Church, sex was a sin... even when it was accompanied with marriage, they weren’t that hot on it. The use of this Biblical quote was bandied about –

 “A man is better off having no relations with a woman. But to avoid immorality, every man should have his own wife and every woman her own husband.” 1 Corinthians 7:12

So the medieval Church’s view was marriage was permitted for the sole purpose of begetting children. In fact, sex for pleasure even among married couples was regarded as a mortal sin. A marriage would only be seen as valid if it met the Church’s requirements.

1.      Consent – both parties must willingly give their consent to the marriage before witnesses.

2.      Both were Christian.

3.      Both were free of prior contracts of marriage or pre-nuptial agreements.

4.      No Consanguinity – no incest. The Church ruled that this included cousins up to the 6^th extent and anyone who was a former lover and their kin.

5.      The church service – which was generally held on the church steps or porch, meant the marriage was sanctified.

6.      Consummation of the marriage.

The Church felt the need to control sex and the relationship between husbands and wives. It prohibited marriage (and sex) during the holy days of the year. Marriages were banned during Lent, Rogationtide, Advent, saint days, Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The Clergy had encouraged the idea that saint’s days had a supernatural aura and emphasised that a sin committed on a holy day was worse than one committed at any other time. For example, Friday, as it was the day of crucifixion, was thought to be unlucky for any new venture, especially for marriage and journeys. Now, if you add up all the days that you weren't allowed to marry or have sex... I think you are looking at over five months.

The Church believed that consent was the most important aspect of marriage. Families arranged marriages during this period, in fact it was only the very poor who had the luxury of marrying for love. Many of the betrothals were contracted when the couple were as young as six or seven, in some cases even from the cradle. This was to align families and to join wealth and property. However, the Church condemned this practise and insisted that the couple could only be betrothed when they were old enough to understand the proceedings and willingly give their consent.

 

So that’s the end of part one, I hope you found it interesting.

Nicole  xx

 www.nicolehurley-moore.com

Paid Images from Bigstock

More Costly Than Diamonds

Hi everyone,
                     I made a cover for a short story I wrote a little while ago. I'm thinking about starting a newsletter, and I wanted to offer 'More Costly Than Diamonds' for free for those who signed up. Anyway, I'm not quite there yet... still trying to work it all out. Hmmmmm... I think I may get my darling husband on this. I'll keep you all up to date and announce when the newsletter is up and running.
 But until then, I thought I would share the cover I made. I'm quite proud of my effort as it is my first attempt.

Nicole  xx

A Crusader has been separated from his bride by duty, war and five long years. He is scarred, damaged and wonders what awaits him at Durand Manor. Has he lost everything? Or will he still possess the one thing he cherishes above all else... his wife.

Spotlight - Georgiana Louis

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Hi everyone,
                     Please make welcome the lovely Georgiana Louis. Georgiana is an Australian author, who is also a qualified chiropractor and a mum. She has several works in the pipeline but her debut book, 'Nanny in Paradise' is soon to be released by Red Rose Publishing.

Hi Georgiana and thanks for dropping by for a chat!

What type of romance do you write?

Generally Historical Romance set in the Regency period- London. However Nanny in Paradise is a contemporary romance.

How did you come up with the idea for your story?

Well, I love Greek men and I always wanted to be a nanny, so I just started and the story came out by itself.

With The Spares series, I was at our beach house and I was reading Julia Quinn’s books. It was thinking about the ‘heir and a spare’ idea. Then I thought it would be interesting to have a series where the spare sons of rich titled families all end up inheriting through different reasons- but they all don’t wish to. And the idea stuck and got developed.

How do you develop your plot and characters?

I have a general idea about the plot and then as I’m writing it I see where the story takes me. Same with the characters. When I’m really in the writing zone I feel as though the story is happening in my head and I just record what happens. I don’t feel as though I have a whole lot of control over what happens.

Are you working on anything at the present?

I’m always editing, but at the moment I am writing the fourth book in my Regency series ‘The Spares.’ It’s called the Rakehell Duke.

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

I like a title to be catchy but also to describe the story well. Nanny wanted is about a millionaire who needs a nanny to help him raise his 2 year old niece- so that’s self explanatory.

Each of the Spares titles are a description of the hero- and also start with R- just because that’s what the first one started with and i55cxgcx5 wanted a common thread to run through them. Their titles are- The Reluctant Duke, The Ruined Marquis, The Recalcitrant Earl and The Rakehell Duke.

What made you want to be a writer?

I ran out of books one day and decided the story in my head deserved a piece of paper- I never really decided to be a writer.

What inspires your writing?

I don’t really know. I started writing because I had a whole story buzzing around my head and I had to get it out. It’s still the case. I can only make myself write when I am in the ‘mood’ to. Sometimes I read, sometimes I edit, other days I need to write. But I only want to do one thing at a time.

What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

Sabrina Jeffries, Julia Quinn and Eloisa James. I’ve also recently made friends with a US writer, Kissa Starling. She writes erotica which is quite different to my style and yet I have really enjoyed sharing my stories with her and getting her feedback. I think she’s rubbing off on me a little bit ;-)

What's your favourite book?

Ohh, impossible. Favourite as in, read the most amount of times? Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, How beauty tamed the beast by Eloisa James and The truth about Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries- I love a tortured hero.

Dreams and aspirations... what’s the one thing you want to do, see or experience above all else?

I want to see my young daughters grow into beautiful, confident and good people. Everything else can wait.

And now for the really tough questions...

What is your favourite food?

Chocolate and home made lemon meringue pie.

What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?

Singing in tune.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?

New York City- I want to see what all the fuss is about.

Georgiana, thanks so much for stopping by.
I wish you well with your writing and look forward to reading your books.

Don't forget, Georgiana's 'Nanny in Paradise' is being released this Christmas by Red Rose Publishing.
Nicole  xx



Nanny in Paradise is a story about Alexander Grigorakis. A greek millionaire who needs the assistance of a nanny to help him raise his two year old niece. Cara Quincy, an Australian nanny, ticks every box. She also ticks every box for Alex, except for the fact that she is his employee. Class rules dictate that Alex leave Cara alone, but her beguiling smile and innocence make that impossible.

Excerpt

 

Alex smiled.  He knew Olivia wanted him.  She had made it obvious over the years.  However tempting it was on occasion, Alex had never indulged.  He knew her parents well and had never wanted to mix the two.

“Christos, so good to see you,” Alex greeted his closest friend with a hug.

“How’s life?”

“Amazing as always,” Christos grinned.

  Christos was a known ladies man, he had perfect taste in women, clothes and the stock market- some of the main reasons Alex liked him.

“Who, is that?” Christos asked Alex, his eyes twinkling with interest.

Alex closed his eyes. Christos knew every female guest.

“Cara,” Alex breathed, turning to watch the object of his dreams walk through the door, Amelia in her arms.

Cara smiled at Alex, looking directly up into his black eyes.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you Mr. Grigorakis, but Amelia has come to say good night to you.”

She hoisted Amelia up on her hip and gave her an encouraging smile.

“You can do it,” Cara whispered into her ear. 

Amelia had been practicing her Greek for weeks.  Alex’s friends were all staring at her now and Cara felt her face blush red at their obvious attention.

“Gala Nicta Thio,” Amelia said quietly, her eyes downcast as she nervously recited the Greek she had been taught.

Alex looked taken aback but quickly recovered himself. He smiled at Cara.

“Well done Amelia,” Alex praised his niece, a few ooh’s and aah’s coming from his female guests.  Amelia lifted her head to see Alex’s smile, then noticed everyone looking at her and cuddled closer into Cara’s chest.  Amelia whispered into Cara’s ear and Alex saw Cara’s eyes grow worried.

She smiled gently. “Of course you can.”

“Sa ga po,” Amelia said quietly, telling Alex she loved him.

Alex’s gut wrenched. He had not expected to hear those words and he froze.

Cara’s eyes were on him, pleading with him to return the words, when she saw Alex freeze she jumped in.

“Your uncle loves you too sweetie.  And you said that so perfectly, I am so proud of you.”  The pointed words were mostly for Alex’s benefit, but she knew Amelia needed to hear them as well.

Cara kissed Amelia on the head and tucked her head into the crook of her neck. Cara then gave Alex a stare that would have withered a twenty foot oak tree. Then she walked away.

“Who was that amazing creature?” Christos asked Alex in Greek, his eyes clearly enjoying the sight of Cara walking away.

“Amelia’s nanny,” Alex told his friend slowly, still reeling from the shock of what had just happened.

“Why didn’t you invite her to the party?  She’d probably be more fun than these stuffy bitches,” Christos sneered quietly.  “Did you see the death stare she gave you?  Are you sure she works for you?”

Christos walked off laughing.

“Yes, I know,” Alex sighed.

 

 

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