Take a vacation from the
London ton and visit Venice in the Moonlight!
A Story of Vengeance, Forgiveness, and Love
Considered useless by his cold-hearted father, Nico Foscari,
eldest son of one of the founding families in Venice, hides his pain behind gambling,
drinking and womanizing.
After her husband’s untimely
demise, Marietta Gatti returns
to her hometown of Venice in hopes of starting a new life and finding the
happiness that was missing in her forced marriage.
When Fate throws them
together, friendship begins to grow into love until Marietta learns a Foscari
family secret that may have cost her father his life. Now, she must choose
between vengeance, forgiveness, and love.
Elizabeth McKenna’s latest
novel takes you back to eighteenth century Carnival, where lovers meet
discreetly, and masks make everyone equal.
Excerpt – Venice in the Moonlight by Elizabeth
McKenna – Copyright 2013
Nico shrugged in the French wingback chair they
had placed by the fireplace for his portrait. He looked regal in a black silk
suit trimmed in gold and a waistcoat of burgundy and gold leaf-patterned
brocade. It seemed Raul had excellent taste in men’s fashions.
Marietta rolled her eyes before she settled in a
chair behind the easel. “Please keep still while I draw.”
“May I talk?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.” Looking at him was going
to be enough distraction. She didn’t need to listen to him also.
He ignored her request. “I have to ask—why
Palladino?”
Marietta blew out an exasperated breath. “I can’t
sketch you properly if you talk.”
“You could have chosen any man at the Consul’s
villa. Casanova himself expressed interest in you, yet you leave with that
pig.”
“It’s not what you think.” She compared her
drawing to Nico and frowned. His shoulders were no longer in the same position.
“You didn’t have to suffer the man’s dismal
lovemaking. What were you thinking?”
“We did not make love,” she replied through
clenched teeth.
He continued as if not hearing her. “You’re the
first woman in years that he didn’t have to pay, though he would never admit to
his need for courtesans. I just don’t understand how you could find him
appealing.”
“We did not make love.” She practically shouted it
this time. “I’m not attracted to Palladino or any other man for that matter.”
This silenced him, gratefully, but only for a few
moments. “Well, in that case, I know of a few courtesans that can accommodate
you. I am told they are quite beautiful and skilled.”
Marietta threw down her charcoal and marched over
to him. She grabbed his shoulders and repositioned him. “That is not what I
meant and you know it.”
He smiled up at her innocently. “I didn’t mean to
offend you, but you have refused my charms, so what should I think?”
She glared at him for her own benefit, knowing it
would have no effect on the man. “You need to stop talking and moving.”
When he didn’t respond, she said, “That’s better.”
He lasted almost fifteen minutes. “So, what kind
of man are you attracted to? Perhaps, I could suggest a few potential lovers.”
“How about one who has fewer conquests than
fingers and toes? Or one that values honesty and fidelity over all else? Do you
know any like that?”
From the thoughtful look on his face, he took this
as an earnest question. “I’m afraid a man like that will be hard to find in
Venice, especially this time of year.”
“Well, then, I guess I’ll have to go without.”
“How depressing. What will you do for amusement if
you don’t take a lover?”
Marietta rubbed at her temples and decided she
deserved more than the coins she’d already been paid. “There’s more to life
than pleasuring oneself.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Signore, really.” She placed her stub of
charcoal on the easel’s tray and rolled the stiffness from her neck and
shoulders. “That is all for today. I have another appointment.” It was a lie,
but she felt the need to rest and the bed in the corner was tempting her tired
body.
Elizabeth McKenna works as a full-time
technical writer/editor for a large software company. Though her love of books
reaches back to her childhood, she had never read romance novels until one
Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She
was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene).
She had always wanted to write fiction, so she combined her love of history,
romance and a happy ending to write her debut novel Cera's Place. Her
short story, The Gypsy Casts a Spell, is available for free on her
website http://elizabethmckenna.com/. She hopes you
will enjoy her latest novel, Venice in the Moonlight, as much as
others have enjoyed her previous works.
Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful
daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn't writing, working, or being a
mom, she's sleeping.
Venice in
the Moonlight Ebook: $.99 (US) at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Venice in
the Moonlight Paperback: $6.99 (US) at CreateSpace and
Amazon
The Gypsy
Casts a Spell (short story): Available for free.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Title:
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