Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway: Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey

Suitors and Sabotage
Cindy Anstey
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: April 17th 2018
Genres: Historical, Romance, Young Adult

Two young people must hide their true feelings for each other while figuring out who means them harm in this cheeky Regency romance from the author of Love, Lies and Spies and Duels & Deception.
Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father’s approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. When her interest is piqued, however, it is for the wrong brother.
Charming Ben Steeple has a secret: despite being an architectural apprentice, he has no drawing aptitude. When Imogene offers to teach him, Ben is soon smitten by the young lady he considers his brother’s intended.
But hiding their true feelings becomes the least of their problems when, after a series of “accidents,” it becomes apparent that someone means Ben harm. And as their affection for each other grows—despite their efforts to remain just friends—so does the danger. . .
In Suitors and Sabotage, author Cindy Anstey delivers another witty young adult historical fiction novel that is the perfect mix of sweetly romantic and action-packed.

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Excerpt

Suddenly, it would seem that the Fates had answered Imogene’s call. The earth began to rumble as if it were thinking about splitting open. However, the noise was not coming from beneath her feet; it was coming from the ruin. Startled, Imogene jerked her head to look over her shoulder. As she watched in alarm, the floor to the great hall collapsed into the cellar below in a cascade of stone and dust.

Jumping up, they backed away from the huge cloud of debris until they could go no further. The moat was at their backs. And then the rumbling stopped—except for the occasional skitter and plop of an errant rock dropping into the newly formed hole visible through the arched doorways. 

Imogene waved the dust out of her eyes, coughing in the thick air.

“Oh dear, that is most unfortunate,” Mr. Benjamin said with more tragedy in his tone than his words implied.

Even Emily looked upset.

Imogene shook her head in dismay. As the dust and dirt began to settle, it became apparent that the floor was not all that had been damaged in the collapse. The front wall of the great hall was leaning in at a worrisome angle. “We might lose the entire face as well,” Imogene said in a whisper of melancholy. The castle was her favorite sketching subject. More than half of her paintings featured the castle in some capacity… and now it… “Well, it’s not gone,” she said with conviction. “The tower still stands and with bracing, I imagine we can secure the wall.” She looked over to Mr. Benjamin. He seemed to know about these things. “Would you agree?”

“Most certainly. It is still a beautiful structure—worthy of praise and study.”

Imogene nodded and turned back to stare at the mess. “The lower floor will have to be dug out.”

“Yes, but as you can see the stairs are still intact. Once the debris around is cleared out— Miss Chively? Is something wrong? Why—Miss Chively, stop! The wall might give way. Where are you go—?”

Imogene ran toward the ruined ruins, her heart hammering. She couldn’t breath, so acute was her fear. “Jasper,” she screamed. “Jasper! Come Jasper!”

She listened. 

And in the silence she heard a terrible sound. A whimper. Coming from under the collapsed floor.

Author Bio:
Whenever she is not sitting at the computer, throwing a ball in the backyard, gardening or reading, Cindy can be found–actually, not found–adventuring around the world with her hubby.
She has lived on three continents, had a monkey in her yard and a scorpion under her sink, dwelt among castles and canals, enjoyed the jazz of Beale St and attempted to speak French.
Cindy loves history, mystery and… a chocolate Labrador called Chester. Love, Lies and Spies is her debut novel.

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