Fresh Book Friday: Bloodied Leather, A Shenandoah Neighbors Story

It's Fresh Book Friday! Today is the Release Day for my latest short story.

Title: Bloodied Leather, A Shenandoah Neighbors Story
Author: Marsha Ward
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: WestWard Books
Date Published: August 18, 2017
Price: $0.99 for ebook edition

Purchase Links:
Kindle | NOOK | Kobo | iTunes |Smashwords

Book Description:
Isabelle Gilbert chafes against the restrictions that Victorian life puts on a young lady.

Forced to accept a betrothal to Percival Egmont, an English ex-patriot like her father, she is disturbed by his passion for prize-fighting—and other pursuits. And what if Mama spots the bruise on her cheek?

Then shared secrets perplex Isabelle even more.

A “Shenandoah Neighbors” story that extends the Owen Family universe, Bloodied Leather opens a new era for this popular family saga.

Author Bio:
Author Marsha Ward writes authentic historical fiction set in 19th Century America, and contemporary romance. She was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, in a simpler time. With plenty of room to roam among the chickens and citrus trees, Marsha enjoyed playing with neighborhood chums, but always had her imaginary friend, cowboy Johnny Rigger Prescott, at her side. Now she makes her home in a forest in the mountains of Arizona. She loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Marsha:
Website: http://marshaward.com
Blog: http://marshaward.blogspot.com
Email: marshaw@marshaward.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarshaward
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarshaWard

Join Marsha’s mailing list for a free book, special offers, and new releases: http://eepurl.com/vBKEj

Sample Saturday: Cover Reveal - Bloodied Leather

How exciting it is to reveal the cover of my short story, Bloodied Leather! This story, the first of the "Shenandoah Neighbors" line of works to see the light of day, will be published as an ebook next Friday, August 18.

Bloodied Leather vaults over a lot of years and other Owen-verse stories (coming later). It's set in San Francisco in 1886. Here's the description:

Isabelle Gilbert chafes against the restrictions that Victorian life puts on a young lady.

Forced to accept a betrothal to Percival Egmont, an English ex-patriot like her father, she is disturbed by his passion for prize-fighting—and other pursuits. And what if Mama spots the bruise on her cheek?

Then shared secrets perplex Isabelle even more.

A “Shenandoah Neighbors” story that extends the Owen Family universe, Bloodied Leather opens a new era for this popular family saga.

Bloodied Leather will be published in a collection in 2018, which will be available in print as well as in ebook formats.
 

~~~~~

Have you read my latest novella, That Tender Light, yet? It's the wonderfully romantic origin story of how Rod Owen and Julia Helm met. Free at online retailers like Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iBooks/iTunes, and Smashwords. Only $0.99 at Amazon.

I always welcome your reviews. Thank you!

Sample Saturday: Bloodied Leather

The short story Bloodied Leather will be published in two weeks. Here's a sample to whet your appetite:

San Francisco, California. 1886

Isabelle Gilbert pulled a blonde curl down alongside her cheek. She repeated the effect with a second lock of hair, then adjusted the coiffure on the other side of her head for symmetry’s sake. She frowned. Mama had such sharp eyes. If the bruise weren’t entirely hidden, she would spot it in one second and ask about it in the next. How would Isabelle ever explain how it had happened?

Surely Percy hadn’t meant to strike her. He’d been so excited about attending the prizefight, and when she had declined to accompany him... I never imagined what trouble a fiancé could be to a girl. I must work harder to make him happy.

Isabelle determined at last that three dangling curls did the job of masking the unsightly discoloration. She gave her hair one last pat and rose from her dressing table to choose her outfit for the day.

Something simple. Nothing to call Mama’s attention to me.

Since Isabelle would not make any calls on friends today, she chose a pale blue bodice with puffed sleeves and a matching skirt with only the slightest of bustles. Something comfortable would be best. After all, she’d only be working on her trousseau. She grimaced. The hand towels must be embroidered with intertwined initials to herald her upcoming marriage to Percival Egmont.

She didn’t call him Percival. Who would? She had chosen to call her fiancé Percy, even though he pressed her daily to use an endearment like “dear” or “darling.” It didn’t suit her to bestow such sweet names on him yet. Especially after last night.

She had left Percy in the parlor on his knees, swearing he had not meant to lay a hand on her. Well, he had done so, and her remembrance of the blow stung as sharply as had the blow itself. Fortunately, Mama hadn’t caught her on the stairs afterward or she would have known something was amiss. Isabelle wondered what action, if any, Mama would have taken in regards to the man. Mama was sometimes a puzzle.

Look for a Cover Reveal next week.

Sample Saturday - Bloodied Leather

Some time ago, I was asked to write a short story for an anthology with the theme of boxing. With little knowledge of the sport, I took on the role of naive spectator and wrote "Bloodied Leather." I hope you enjoy this brief excerpt.
~~~

When Percy called that evening, Isabelle had no excuse not to receive him, with Papa home and sitting in the parlor reading his newspaper.

Percy launched into a spate of wheedling, trying to convince her to attend a boxing match with him. She shuddered as his face lit up at his description of what he expected to see at the championship event the next month. What attracted men to such unsavory pastimes? Why did he expect her to relish the invitation to accompany him? Would he attack her again tonight if she refused?

“Surely young ladies should not attend such lurid displays,” she answered his last plea in a soft voice, glancing at her father, hidden behind his paper.

“On the contrary, several very cultured women attended the last figh— uh, match.”

“Papa?” She turned to her parent for help.

He looked up, eyes glazed with inattention.

“What do you require, daughter?”

“Must I attend a boxing match with Percy?”

“He is your fiancé, my dear. I’m sure he knows best how you are to spend your time together.”

He paused to inhale a powder she supposed was snuff.

“Papa?”

“Do go ahead and attend,” he replied. “It will broaden your view of life.” He waved a dismissive hand.
~~~

"Bloodied Leather" is found in the boxing anthology that, curiously, is titled two ways on Amazon. In the Kindle edition it's called Fight Card Presents: Battling Mahoney & Other Stories. The print version is called Battling Mahoney & Other Stories. As you can see, the cover replaces the ampersand with the word and. To me, this is a reminder to be consistent.

Come back next week for another sample.

Madcap Monday - August 4, 2014

I have several items to announce today.

First of all, my short story, "Bloodied Leather," has been published in the anthology Fight Card Presents: Battling Mahoney and Other Stories, available for Kindle at Amazon.com. Followers of the Owen Family Saga will be interested in reading it. The collection is a charity anthology. All the authors donated their stories on behalf of the late great writer Jory Sherman. 100% of the proceeds will go to his family or to other writers in need. I encourage you to buy a copy of the collection, enjoy my story and others, and help with a great cause. It's only $2.99!

Don't forget to check out my novella, Faith and the Foreman, in the Old West Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 7), available for Kindle at Amazon.com and for Nook at BarnesandNoble.com. This collection has been well received, so be sure to see why it's a best-seller. It's only $4.99 for six novellas!

I've saved the best for last: Gone for a Soldier, my fifth novel in the Owen Family Saga, is going to be released on Thursday, September 18. Beta readers have indicated that it's a page turner.

We're having a Launch Party on Facebook, and a blog tour in October, so stay tuned for more information.

Saturday Sample - May 10, 2014

Welcome back to Saturday Sample. I've been writing a short story that will be part of an anthology to be published later. The publisher hasn't set the release date yet, so I can't give it to you, but it's going to be an awesome anthology with all the stories using the theme of the pugilistic sport of boxing. I chose to show you this world from a young woman's point of view. Here's the beginning.
~~~

Isabelle Gilbert pulled a blonde curl down alongside her cheek. She repeated the effect with a second lock of hair, then adjusted the coiffure on the other side of her head for symmetry's sake. She frowned. Mama had such sharp eyes. If the bruise weren't entirely hidden, she would spot it in one second and ask about it in the next. How would Isabelle ever explain how it had happened?

Surely Percy hadn't meant to strike her. He'd been so excited about attending the prizefight, and when she had declined to accompany him. . . . I never imagined what trouble a fiancé could be to a girl. I must work harder to make him happy.

Isabelle determined at last that three dangling curls on each side did the job of masking the unsightly discoloration. She gave her hair one last pat and rose from her dressing table to choose her outfit for the day.

Something simple. Nothing to call Mama's attention to me.

~~~

What peril could Isabelle possibly face in company with her mother? Why do you think she is intent upon not calling attention to herself, yet feels obliged to please her fiancé? What emotions do you think she is experiencing as she prepares for her day?

I hope you enjoyed this tidbit. Thank you for visiting. I love to read your comments, so if anything in the sample compels you to speak up, rest assured that I eventually read what you write and will reply, if needed. Questions? I'm open to them, too.

Please come back next Saturday for another sample. Thank you!

Marsha Ward is the award-winning author of an acclaimed novel series featuring the Owen family. Her latest book, Spinster's Folly, won the 2013 USA Best Book Award for Western Fiction. A former journalist, Ward has published over 900 articles, columns, poems and short stories. She is the founder of American Night Writers Association aka ANWA.

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