Gaming Hell Christmas: Volume Two
GAMING HELL CHRISTMAS – VOLUME 2: Mysteries abound at London’s most fashionable Hell.
The Thief Who Stole Christmas – Amanda McCabe
A man who has never broken the rules, and a woman who just might break his heart! But Christmas is always a time for second chances…
As one of Miss Greensley’s Girls, a member of the exclusive club la Sous Rose, and famous author Lady L, Victoria Lanford moves easily through Society ballrooms. Few people know how her unhappy childhood and anxiety led her to pickpocketing (yet, she did return the jewels)! When she comes face-to-face with old flame Rhys Neville, Earl of Hammond, she knows the kind-hearted, straight-laced, devilishly handsome lord is not for her—especially once the past comes back to haunt them. Why, then, can’t she stop thinking about their kisses?
The Kerse Who Saved Christmas – Kathy L Wheeler
Kerse: He, of the no nonsense approach, is stymied by She, a woman considered long past prime marriageability who needs a keeper more than he requires a wife. Yet the dreamy-eyed, impractical, and much too optimistic Philomena still manages to steal his heart despite her unrealistic beliefs and trust in fortune tellers.
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gaming-Hell-Christmas-Kathy-Wheeler-ebook/dp/B0B5BCKC1G/
US – https://www.amazon.com/Gaming-Hell-Christmas-Kathy-Wheeler-ebook/dp/B0B5BCKC1G/
Guest Post
Gaming Hell Christmas Volume 2 starts out much like Volume 1 in the sense of setup. For example, we have our eight characters on the Isle of Wite as the young schoolmates from Miss Greensley’s School of Comportment for Young Women of Quality. The focus, however, is on the two main characters of the stories involved, i.e., Miss Victoria Leland and Lady Philomena Staunton. So, there are intricate details that let us see how these young women came to be the women they are. So, fun.
Excerpt
Phil brought her knees up, prepared to continue her reading on Ancient Greece, but caught a shift of movement in her peripheral vision. She turned her head, lifting her hand and shading her eyes, then groaned.
“Tori,” she hissed. “I was under the impression you had promised to quit taking items that didn’t belong to you.”
Victoria Lanford’s auburn hair gleamed in the sunlight. Most people thought it unfashionable, but Phil envied her such a striking feature.
Her friend’s hand froze. She wrinkled her nose, and Tori pulled her hand back, tossing Phil a puckish grin. “I just don’t wish to lose what skills I’ve acquired and used my entire life up to now. That’s all.”
“Well, that’s Augusta’s pile,” Phil retorted. “I suggest moving the next one over. It wouldn’t bother me in the least for you to relieve Thom of her blasted locket. She carries that reprehensible miniature I abhor.”
Tori jumped up and sauntering over, dropped next to Phil on the warm sand. “Please, don’t say anything.”
“I won’t,” Phil told her begrudgingly. “Honestly, though, I detest that locket.” Her twin took every opportunity to flick it open and point out the differences between herself and Thom—difficult in most cases but for a dimple they each sported that mirrored one another’s. Phil’s was in her left cheek. “The artist didn’t care for me and painted me with a glum expression. I suppose I could hide the silly thing.”
“Sadly,” Tori informed her on a resigned sigh, “everyone would instantly believe that it was I who had filched it.”
Phil and Tori sat beneath the trees where a breeze lightly ruffled their braids, considering Tori’s fact. The sun, high and bright in the sky made it tempting to dash into the water, but Phil was deathly afraid of being swept out to sea.
“I suppose I shall just have to smash it in a fit of pique in front of Thom,” Phil said after a time.
Tori laughed.
Likely because everyone agreed Phil was the least temperamental of all their friends.
“There’s a fortune teller at the fair in Nettlestone,” Tori said, her eyes squinting into the sun. “We should visit.”
Phil’s spine straightened. How intriguing.
So, we learn three important things here:
- Victoria is a thief
- Phil fears water, and
- Phil shows a piqued interest in fortune telling.
Then, of course, the hope is the reader is intrigued enough to dive into both stories and love them as much as we loved writing them.
Meet Amanda
Amanda wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen–a vast historical epic starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class (and her parents wondered why math was not her strongest subject…)
She’s never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Santa Fe with a Poodle, a cat, a wonderful husband, and a very and far too many books and royal memorabilia collections.
When not writing or reading, she loves taking dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network–even though she doesn’t cook.
Connect with Amanda McCabe
https://www.facebook.com/amandamccabebooks/
https://www.instagram.com/amandamccabeauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/amandamccabebooks
https://twitter.com/AmandaMcCabe01
Meet Kathy L Wheeler
Kathy L Wheeler loves the NFL, the NBA, musical theater (don’t ask how her how many times she’s seen Phantom of the Opera (12); or Wicked (7)), travel, (Europe, Grand Cayman, Mexico, All over the US), reading (practically a book a night), writing (35 books and counting) and karaoke (well….what can I say). She assists other authors in critiquing, formatting, and creating covers for their publishing dreams.
She writes contemporary and historical stories where the heroines save themselves and the heroes who honor their courage with suspense and humor.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest US with her musically talented, lawyer husband, and their adorable dog Angel (who lives up to her name…mostly).
Connect with Kathy L Wheeler
https://kathylwheeler.com/blog/
https://twitter.com/kathylwheeler
M J Porter 