The Cheer in Charming an Earl (The Naughty Girls) (16 page)

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Did you know there are more Naughty Girls books?

This novel is a short story in a tightly connected, full-length six-book series. To receive updates on future book releases, please sign up for my mailing list at
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In order, The Naughty Girls books are:

The Courtesans

The Trouble with Being Wicked (available now!)

The Problem with Seduction (available now!)

The Art of Ruining a Rake (Christmas 2013)

The Innocents

The Cheer in Charming an Earl (this story)

TBD (Christmas 2014)

TBD (Christmas 2015)

The Hoydens

The Danger in Daring a Lady (late 2014)

The Importance of Being a Scoundrel (TBD)

The Hazards of Loving a Rogue (TBD)

He put her on a pedestal…

When Celeste Gray arrives in the sleepy village of Brixcombe-on-the-Bay, she thinks she’s one step closer to leaving her notorious past behind. She even suspects the deliciously handsome—if somewhat stuffy—viscount next door is developing a
tendre
for her. That is, until the day Ashlin Lancester learns she’s not the unassuming spinster she’s pretending to be.

Now she has farther to fall

After a decade of proving he is nothing like his profligate father, Ash is horrified to have given his heart to a Cyprian. He launches a campaign to prove his attraction is nothing more than a sordid reaction he can’t control. But he soon learns that unlike his father, he can’t find comfort in the arms of just any woman. He needs Celeste. When he takes her as his mistress, he’s still not satisfied, and the many late nights in her arms only make him want more…

An outrageous proposition

Elizabeth Spencer needs a man. Preferably one who won't be too picky about the morality of her proposition, or his reputation. Lord Constantine Alexander can't afford another trip to debtors' prison, which makes him the perfect candidate. She doesn't expect him to have a heart of gold, or to hold up his end of the bargain—particularly when his high-in-the-instep family gets involved. Nor does she expect to find him irresistible, because while she needs a man, she doesn't particularly want one.

A wicked bargain

Elizabeth Spencer needs a man. Preferably one who won't be too picky about the morality of her proposition, or his reputation. Lord Constantine Alexander can't afford another trip to debtors' prison, which makes him the perfect candidate. She doesn't expect him to have a heart of gold, or to hold up his end of the bargain—particularly when his high-in-the-instep family gets involved. Nor does she expect to find him irresistible, because while she needs a man, she doesn't particularly want one.

He wants her…

Practiced rake Roman Alexander never meant to seduce his best friend’s sister. He certainly never intends to do it again. The handsome scoundrel has never felt more compelled to be a better man. But the damage has been done, for his buttoned-up spinster refuses to marry a bounder like him—and maddeningly, she doesn’t seem to
like
him. Nevertheless, he can’t seem to forget her, or her passionate response to his kisses. How much danger could there be in one more try?

She wants revenge

Practical headmistress Lucy Lancester naively believes her charming rogue has moved on to his next conquest, leaving her free to cherish their one night together for the rest of her bluestocking days. Until the afternoon he arrives at her school intent on proving their one night together wasn’t enough…and this time, the scandal can’t be contained. Well, two can play at that. How hard can it be to ruin a rake?

When I accepted the challenge of writing a novella for the Intrepid Reads holiday anthology, I had no idea how to twist my emotional Naughty Girls series into a fun Christmas story. But I knew the best people to ask for advice were my readers, so I turned to Facebook for the answer. You asked for it; here it is! A Christmas story filled with innocence and wonder, turned slightly on its axis. Thank you for the ideas, everyone! I had a blast writing Elinor and Grantham’s story.

But of course, I couldn’t have done this without my A-team, Erica Ridley, Darcy Burke, and Janice Goodfellow. It was like Christmas in July this year, wasn’t it? So glad we could spend the holidays “together,” because I love you girls so much! There are simply no stories without you.

I’ll remain forever grateful to Linda Sneed at Linda Sneed Editorial Services for nailing my tight turnaround window. Sorry to drop this on you at the last minute! You did a fantastic job; any errors present are my own.

Lastly, while there are no stories without my critique partners, there is no
book
without my fiancé. Thank you for giving up so many evenings of cuddle time so I could get this manuscript finished. I’d promise to get the next book done before the wedding planning starts, but I’m pretty sure those would be famous last words.

Emma Locke is a writer and engineer living in the Pacific Northwest, where she loves hiking with her dog, hot yoga and every one of the annual 330 days of rain. Hiking and yoga give her time to plot, the lack of sun makes for perfect writing weather, and as for her day job, the dichotomy seems to work: her analytic side ensures her passionate, satisfying love stories don’t mulch under her bed, and her author side forces her to keep writing more. 

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