Get Lost in Sweet Madness...

 

Ever since her husband’s sudden and tragic death, Lady Penelope Bridgeman has committed herself to studying the maladies of the mind, particularly treating traumatized soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars. It is this expertise that brings the Marquess of Bromwich’s family to her door.

Gabriel Devereaux’s unexpected and unpredictable episodes are unlike any Penelope has studied. The once proud soldier has been left shaken and withdrawn, but she manages to build a fragile trust between them. Strangely, Gabriel seems completely lucid when not in the grips of his mania, and in the calm between bouts, she is surprised by how much she is drawn to him.

Despite his own growing feelings, Gabriel knows that he is fit for no one, and is determined to keep Penelope away from his descent into madness. But even though she knows firsthand the folly of loving a broken man, Penelope cannot stop herself from trying to save him, no matter the cost.

I’m very excited that the release day for Sweet Madness is finally here! As I’m sure many of you have deduced from the blurb, my hero, Gabriel Devereaux, suffers (at the very least) from battle fatigue, known to us today as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Here’s a brief, exclusive excerpt from the middle of the book, when our hero and heroine are stuck in a closed carriage…

 

“First, no matter what else we may be dealing with, I know you agree that at least a part of it is battle fatigue, yes?”

He grunted his assent but did not open his eyes.

“Isolation only makes it worse. You need to be around other people, people who can offer social and intellectual stimulation and appeal to your rational self. Not only will Geoffrey and Liliana be at Somerton Park, but they employ several ex-soldiers on the estate.”

But Gabriel wasn’t listening to her. His face had gone eerily pale and his chest rose and fell entirely too fast.

Her gaze dropped to his hands, which gripped the seat of the carriage so hard they trembled. Penelope’s heart leapt into her throat. “Gabriel, what is the matter?”

His eyes flew open and beads of sweat popped out onto his forehead, glistening in the feeble light of the carriage lamps. He shook his head at her, as if to deny anything was wrong. But then he seemed to think better of it. “Can’t”—he sucked in air—“breathe,” he said, tugging at his cravat.

His fingers fumbled at the task. Penelope scrambled to help him, her own breath catching in her throat. She had to partially straddle him to reach him. She bent awkwardly over him, bracing herself with one hand on the squab beside his head. She used her other hand to pull at the knot until it gave way. White linen slid over her black gloves as she loosened the neck cloth. “Is that better?”

He nodded, taking in great gulps of air. His body quivered, tense as a bowstring against her. “Not even . . . a half hour away from Vickering Place . . . and I’m already descending into . . . madness.”

He tried for a self-deprecating smile, but his breathing was still too rapid for Penelope’s comfort, and seemed to be getting faster.

She’d seen this before. Many men suffering from battle fatigue experienced sudden attacks of nerves. Oftentimes it was brought on by a sudden noise, or a flash of memory, or being forced into a situation that reminded them of the trauma they’d experienced, whether they were aware of it or not. She had no idea what might have caused his. It could simply be the stress of the situation. Or the fact that he was leaving the perceived safety of the sanatorium.

Or . . . Gabriel had been acting strangely since the moment he stepped into the carriage. She glanced around at the tight, dark interior. Could it be he had a fear of enclosed spaces?

She framed his face with her hands and turned it up to hers. “No, you are not,” she assured him. If he truly worried that an episode was imminent, he would never calm down. Already, his heart pounded, his pulse visible in the hollow of his throat. “You have no warning before your episodes, remember? This is simply an attack of nerves, and it will pass. Just keep looking into my eyes.”

His gaze latched on to hers, panic glinting in his golden brown eyes. She reached down and found his hand, placing it palm down upon her chest. Then she returned her hand to his cheek. “Try to match your breathing to mine, Gabriel,” she said, taking slow, deep breaths through her nose and blowing them from her mouth. “Feel the rise and fall and focus on meeting the rhythm. In through your nose . . .”

He nodded jerkily and gave it his best effort, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled. But he couldn’t seem to get enough air and opened his mouth to take in more. His panic was intensifying, she knew.

She had to find a way to calm him, had to jar him out of this before he spiraled out of control.

She could slap him across the face. No. No, she couldn’t bring herself to do that.

      So she did the next best thing.

 

You’ll have to buy SWEET MADNESS to learn what that next best thing is, of course! But when you do, a part of your purchase will go to a very worthy cause. You see, while Gabriel is a fictional war hero, there are many real life heroes and battling PTSD today. Experts suggest that more than 30 percent of U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan experience PTSD and sadly, the families of these soldiers often share in their suffering. Researching the terrible effects of this disorder moved me deeply, and made me wish to help if I could.

 

Sweet Madness is a story of the healing power of love, and just as important, of hope. Therefore, my husband and I have decided to donate a portion of all royalties earned from the sale of SWEET MADNESS to Hope For the Warriors®, an organization dedicated to “restoring a sense of self, restoring the family unit, and restoring hope for our service members and our military families.” You can find out more about this wonderful charity here: http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/

I'd be grateful if Get Lost in a Story readers could help me spread the word! Here is an example Tweet and Facebook post you could use to do so:

 

For Facebook:

 

In Heather Snow’s SWEET MADNESS, a debutante is content to live the privileged life she’d been born to, until the tragic death of her husband drives her to study the maladies of the mind—particularly those of traumatized soldiers back from the Napoleonic wars—and leads her to a man who desperately needs her help…and her love.

 

SWEET MADNESS is a story of the healing power of love, and just as important, of hope. Heather’s hero, Gabriel, is a fictional war hero but there are many real life heroes and their families suffering today. Therefore, she and her husband have decided to donate a portion of all royalties earned from the sale of SWEET MADNESS to Hope For the Warriors®, an organization dedicated to “restoring a sense of self, restoring the family unit, and restoring hope for our service members and our military families.”

 

Learn more at http://www.heathersnowbooks.com/Hope_For_the_Warriors.html

 

For Twitter:

Did you know a portion of proceeds from @HeatherSnowRW’s SWEET MADNESS goes to @Hope4Warriors? http://bit.ly/11fdrNr

 

And here's where you can get the book yourself, if you're inclined. Thanks, everyone!

Rainy Day Books (my local indie)
Amazon (Kindle Edition)
Amazon (Mass Market Paperback)
Barnes and Noble
Books-A-Million
IndieBound
Ibooks
The Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide)

Walmart

 

 

“Sweet Madness is utterly refreshing in highlighting a love that grows based on need and compassion, as much as attraction and desire. Fresh and unique…sweet and heart-wrenching…characters so complex, flawed, and emotionally scarred that they feel flesh and blood real.”
~ Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick

"In this emotional, compassionate romance...the powerful love story will sweep readers away."
~RT BookReviews, 4 1/2 stars

“The perfect ending…she never disappoints her readers.”
~ Love Romance Passion, 4 ½ Stars

“The brilliance ofSweet Madness shines strongly and completely. Heather Snow is cutting edge…a master storyteller. Sweet Madness is a magnificent story.”
~Book Obsessed Chicks 5 stars

“Sweet Madness touched me in a deeply personal way…an excellent end to an exquisitely executed series.”
~ Manic Readers, 5 Stars

"Kept me reading until the very last page because I was so invested in Penelope and Gabriel...I absolutely loved this book."
~Eye on Romance, 10 of 10

“I cannot say how much I love this book. This was a super fabulous read and I so hope to see more of Ms. Snow's work.”
~ Doing Some Reading Blog

“When you ask yourself ‘what is the next great book I should read?’, always pick up anything written by Heather Snow. She always hits the mark of excellence. Ms. Snow delivers a story you will never forget and a romance you will always long for with all your heart.”
~ The Reading Reviewer

“This is the first opportunity I have had to read a book by Heather Snow and it most certainly will not be my last…I was kept completely enthralled all the way through this story.”
~ Reviews by Crystal

“Sweet madness is a total package, wonderful, well written characters, and an excellent romantic story.”
~ Fresh Fiction