Get Lost with Cynthia Woolf

Heiress Ella Davenport survived a carriage accident that killed her father.  Her life saved in exchange for savage scars marring her beautiful face.  Her friends, socialites, showed their true colors, casting Ella aside like damaged goods and leaving her a social pariah. Even her wealth can’t buy her the kind of marriage she wants. Desperate to find a husband who can accept her despite her scars and, without knowing about her money, she seeks to become a mail order bride.  Matchmaker & Co. is her one chance to start over and leave the pain and betrayal far behind her.

Nathan Ravenclaw was run out of town by the father of the girl he was courting once he discovered Nathan’s Arapaho heritage. It didn’t matter that Nathan was a successful rancher, businessman, and a positive member of society.  The white community suddenly saw only a half-breed. Even his money couldn’t buy him a wife. That was ten years ago.   He moved and rebuilt everything that cold rancher once took from him.  He has it all...except a wife.  Matchmaker & Company promises to send him a woman willing to start a new life with him.  But Nathan's battered heart lacks the ability to trust. He longs for children, not romance.  His new bride, scarred and cast aside like himself, promises to be perfect for him.  Until he meets his mail order bride.  Fierce desire and an even more dangerous hope roar back to life within him.   Two things he swore never to indulge in again. 

And love?  For these two battered souls, that's the biggest risk of all

Excerpt

She arrived in Denver on April 6, 1871.  A date she would forever remember as the start of her life.  It was almost like another birthday.

The weather was cold.  The wind rushed off the plains and collided with the mountains to the west, keeping the chill in the air.  The buildings weren’t as tall as in New York, but the wind still whistled between them and over the platform where she stood.  She was glad of her good wool coat and lined boots.  They kept her warm while she waited for Mr. Ravenclaw to find her.  There wasn’t anyone else wearing a veil so she didn’t think he’d have much problem identifying her.

She wasn’t really sure what she expected, but it wasn’t the tall, devastatingly handsome man that approached her.  He had a square jaw shaved clean and a tiny dimple in his chin.  Black eyebrows slashed over his eyes, the color of which was hidden by the shadow from his hat, pulled low on his head.  For once she was glad of her veil.  He wouldn’t be able to see her mouth hanging open, gawking at him.

“Miss Davenport?”

“Yes.  Are you Mr. Ravenclaw?”

“I am.”

Ella was surprised to find her hand trembled as she held it out to him.  “Ella Davenport.”

He removed his glove and enveloped her hand in his big one.  His fingers brushed the skin of her wrist just above her glove.  The tingle that traveled clear to her toes was unexpected and her gaze snapped up to his.  She looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes.  They seemed to question the chemistry between them as much as she did.

He held her hand for what seemed like a lifetime and they simply starred at each other.

“Miss Davenport….”

“Ella.  Please.”

“Ella.  I would like for you to lift your veil.”

“Are you sure you wish to do this in public.  It can be…shocking.”

“I’m sure.”  He squeezed her hand and then let go.

“Very well.”  She lifted the heavy lace, prepared for him to be taken aback by the ugliness of it.  She wasn’t prepared for him to lift his hand and gently trace the thin, putrid purple scar all the way from her left eye over her cheek and down her neck to the top of her collar.

There was no disdain on his face.  His blue eyes took in everything and accepted it, but even so he said the last thing she expected.

“You are a very beautiful woman.”

She stood there with her mouth open until he raised her chin with his knuckle.

“Why are you surprised?  Surely you have heard the compliment before.”

She shook her head to clear it and find her tongue.  “Not since the accident, except from my brother.  But he’s biased.  He loves me.”

“He but states the obvious.  Your scars do not detract from your beauty.”

“I must thank you because good manners dictate it.  However, I believe we should see about getting you some glasses.”

He laughed.  A rich, deep baritone.  “I’m glad you have a sense of humor.”

“Who was joking?”

A BIT ABOUT CYNTHIA

Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

She was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and her critique partners for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity

    

CLOVER: How often do you get lost in a story?

CYNTHIA:   I read all the time.  So I guess you could say that I get lost in a story on a daily basis.  I always try to read before I go to bed.  Then when I’m trying to take a break from the computer I’ll open my kindle and start reading.  Maybe a new book or maybe the one I already have going.

CLOVER: What’s the first book you remember reading?

CYNTHIA:   The first book I remember reading is A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle

CLOVER: What was the first story you remember writing?

CYNTHIA:  The first story I wrote was when I was ten.  It was about me and a little boy that I had a crush on at the time.  His name was David Williams.  I’m still amazed that I remember his name.  LOL

CLOVER: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

CYNTHIA:  There are so many, but I can watch any of the Harry Potter movies at anytime.  I also love an old movie with Cary Grant and Leslie Caron called Father Goose.  It’s very funny.

CLOVER: I remember Father Goose. It is great. What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

CYNTHIA:  The first thing I do after writing the end is go and tell my husband.  Then I print it all out for the first pass on the editing process.

CLOVER’S GOTTA ASK:  What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

CYNTHIA’S GOTTA ANSWER:   I love getting lot in historical romance.  Any time period but westerns are my favorite.  Must be why I love to write them.

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What do you have coming out next?

My next release is Fiery Bride.  It’s the third in the Matchmaker & Co. series.  It’s the story of Maggie Selby, the owner of Matchmaker & Co.  She finally gets her own story

GIVEAWAY DRAWING

Cynthia will give one lucky commenter a copy of Heiress Bride in any format, (Paperback option for US residents only) and a $5 gift card.

Note: Please leave an email address for notification. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

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