Read The Seduction of Sarah Marks Online
Authors: Kathleen Bittner Roth
The Seduction of Sarah Marks (19 page)
Acknowledgments
I actually dreamed this entire story one night. I woke up amazed that I had watched a movie in my sleep. Even though I wrote a couple of novels before I managed to get to this one, the story remained as a bright spot in my heart. When I sat down to finally put it to words, the characters and the story came alive as though the dream had occurred the night before.
I have a passion for collecting stories of eccentric women throughout history who were daring enough to step outside the dictates of society. Mum is my representative of these unconventional women who lived during the Regency and Victorian eras. All the stories Mum tells about her past are based on actual events belonging to the wilful daughter of an earl, Lady Hester Stanhope (12 March 1776—23 June 1839). Niece to William Pitt the Younger, she acted as his assistant while he was prime minister. Upon his death, the government awarded her a lifetime pension, which she promptly used to pursue a scandalous life in the Middle East, never to return to England. Wild and daring, Lady Hester thought nothing of traipsing around the desert in men’s clothing, or of taking a string of lovers, including one twelve years her junior. Given the opportunity to write whatever stories I enjoy telling, I simply had to include Mum in all those wild adventures.
I want to thank my agent Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency for placing
The Seduction of Sarah Marks
in the right hands. You are my rock.
Many thanks to my wonderful editor, Erin Molta, who showed me how to make this story even better. I also thank you for your bright and cheery support that shines through, even in the briefest of emails.
Thanks to my wonderful RWA® Hearts Through History critique partners: Wendy, Anne, Tess, Averil, Renee, Barbara, Joan, Sam, Cari, and Deb for helping me put the right words into the story. What an amazingly talented and caring group of women you are!
Thanks to the awesome 2012 Firebirds. As fellow finalists in the prestigious Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Contest®, we’ve stuck together and supported one another through thick and thin. Thanks for being there when I needed you most.
To my Beta readers, Jennifer Arp and Nancy Linehan. Your precious input and catching those niggling little typos and sentences that didn’t make sense saved me on more than one occasion.
To the Lalalas and The Dashing Duchesses, I’m in the best of company!
Thanks to my wonderful Hungarian neighbor, Edit Meszaros. A fantastic cook who lived for a time in England, she makes her own liqueurs. Without you, Mum’s “tipples” wouldn’t have been authentic. And thank you, Edit, for those scrumptious meals when I was too busy trying to finish a manuscript to cook. And hey, you even lent me your cat to prance around on my desk. What more could I ask for?
And since you, dear reader, have chosen to read my story, my heartfelt thanks. Without you, there’d be no point, would there? I hope you enjoyed the story.
About the Author
Kathleen Bittner Roth is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America® and belongs to the Hearts Through History Romance Writers chapter. Kathleen was a finalist in RWA’s prestigious Golden Heart contest and has won numerous awards for her writing. She is the founder of Inner World Perceptions, an international well-being center. She has worked in the media for many years (television and radio, including The History Channel, and all four major networks). Kathleen has also been a contributing editor of an online romance magazine and a guest on many blogs.
Sign up for our
Steals & Deals newsletter
and be the first to hear about 99¢ releases from Kathleen Bittner Roth and other fantastic Entangled authors!
Reviews help other readers find books. We appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Thank you for reading!
Are you feeling…
Scandalous?
Our readers know that historical doesn’t mean antiquated, that’s why they choose Scandalous—an Entangled Publishing imprint—for love stories from eras gone by.
Our romances are bold and sexy and passionate. After all, torrid love affairs are even more illicit when forbidden by social mores. Take a little time for yourself, escape to another era, and discover a timeless romance. There’s never been a better time to fall in love.
Never miss a release by subscribing to our newsletter, and join us on our social media pages to keep up with our specials, giveaways, prizes, and what is new with scandalous authors.
Did you love this Scandalous novel from Entangled? Check out more of our titles
here
and discover more Regency romance with these Scandalous titles!
Clarissa Kincaid has been raised to be the perfect English lady…in need of the perfectly respectable English husband. She’s found her quarry, but the man won’t commit and she finds herself seeking assistance in the form of seduction lessons from someone the opposite of respectable…Justin, the wealthy bastard son of the Duke of Chanceworth.
This is a challenge the charismatic Justin cannot resist. Clarissa may think that he knows nothing about her needs, but Justin is determined to show her that he knows plenty about her secret desires.
Victorian Romance at its best...
Victorian Era England...
When Lady Jocelyn barges into the dark duke’s home demanding satisfaction, she never expects the enigmatic man to turn the tables…and she ends up caught in a trap of her own making. Sebastian Thornton’s wicked scar speaks to his dangerous sensibilities—but the Duke of Calydon’s raw, sensual nature is far more perilous to her heart. Swept into erotic nights of loving…and days of frigid walls, she desperately tries to thaw the man she is falling in love with before he shuts her out completely.
Try American Historical Romance...
St. Louis, Missouri, 1879
The only things that have kept widower Stephen Worth alive for the past two years are the promise of revenge against the man who framed him for murder and the love for Andy, his son, who was taken by the beautiful but vexing sister of his dead wife. Now, full of desire for her, he must convince Kate to trust him before she learns the truth about his past—but his demons are all the ammunition she needs to keep his son for good.
Short on time? Try a Scandalous novella...
London, 1814
Remington Hawthorne has spent his life protecting the Crown. When he’s assigned to play the part of lover to Emma Masterson, he’ll have to risk his heart as well as his life.
Perpetually tasked with proving she is as valuable as any man in her profession, the last thing Emma needs is to be reunited with the one man who makes her want to forget her duties and get lost in passion. It will take every ounce of strength not to give in to him…
When a beautiful stranger ducks into his bookshop during a rainstorm, Cale Cameron, a well-known rake, is instantly attracted to her, but he has no interest in a long-term attach-ment. Society would never accept a countess and a mere bookseller, so Cale and Elizabeth agree to a one week affair to indulge their desire, but as their passion ignites and their connection grows, Elizabeth is entirely too captivated by the man who showers her with sensual pleasures. Will their fire be enough to thaw his frozen heart?