Blog Tour: Venom by Fiona Paul

Y'all know I'm such a giant fan of VENOM (Check out my review here) and I've asked Fiona Paul to do a lot of Promo stuff (check out the guest post here and my interview here!) and VENOM totally deserves it! So I'm absolutely THRILLED to be on the Venom Blog Tour and even more excited to be kicking it off! EEP! And during the blog tour, you can collect snippets of the novella VENOMOUS! (I had to cut out a lot of squealing in this intro. Just thought I'd say that.) Here's the first snippet!

Venomous

A Secrets of the Eternal Rose short story

By Fiona Paul

The year is 1600 and the streets of Venice, Italy are ripe with intrigue and danger. In this introduction to the world of Venom, eighteen-year-old Mariabella has recently elevated herself from the rank of common prostitute to the status of courtesan, a respected high-class escort for those men in Venetian society who can afford them. Mariabella steps out to attend a party on the arm of her powerful new patron, certain that the night will be filled with glamour, secrets, and adventure.

--

As the gondola slows to a stop, I adjust the neckline of my dress and emerge from behind the leather curtains of the felze. Arabella, my friend and roommate, laced my stays extra tightly and the stiff framework presses against my rib cage as I stand. The private dock of Palazzo Domacetti is crowded with other guests. All of Venice seems to be watching me as I take the gondolier’s hand and alight from the boat.

 Slowly, I step onto the dock, reveling in the stares of desire and jealousy. For the first time in my life, I am the girl that the other girls wish they could be. It’s not because I’m the prettiest or the youngest, or even the most talented. It’s because one of the richest and most powerful men in Venice went looking for a new companion, and he chose me.

            Someone tugs sharply at my dress and I wobble in my chopines, stepping sideways to regain my balance. I turn around. A toothless woman with a stooped back is gripping the emerald-green satin of my top skirt in her gnarled hand. Her other hand clutches a leather canteen. She’s not wearing a hat, and snarls of gray hair hang like storm clouds around her pale face.

            “The mark,” she rasps. She is rank with the stench of ale and worse things. Filth. Death. I grew up around these smells and I will never forget them.

            Tugging the fabric free of her bony fingers, I glance down at my bodice and skirts, at my sleeves and lace gloves, looking for a spot or stain. I’m clean, but I pull my cloak tight around me anyway, attempting to cover my entire body with the soft suede garment.

 “What mark?” I ask, even though she’s clearly drunk or mad. Perhaps both.           

“The Devil’s mark,” she hisses. One crooked finger lifts toward my face. “You are chosen.” She throws back her head and cackles.

            Around me, nobles and other courtesans watch the exchange with curiosity, but no one steps in to help. My new patron, Joseph Dubois, is just now alighting from the gondola, having stopped to pay the gondolier. He moves immediately to my side and gestures quickly at a pair of men clad in the red and black livery of Palazzo Domacetti. They step forward to seize the woman.

            “Off with you now,” one says. A heavy club hangs from his belt. “You’ve no business in this district.”

            The old woman allows the men to lead her away from the palazzo, but she continues to cackle, a sound that makes my skin twitch and crawl as if I am covered with cockroaches. “Chosen,” she shrills once more. And then she disappears around a corner, safely out of sight.

--

Isn't that AMAZING! I can't wait for the next posts to find out what happens next! The next part will be on The Compulsive Reader on Oct 3! 

Venom Blurb

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself.

Short Author Bio

Fiona Paul lives in St. Louis, MO where she's managed to persuade prestigious universities to award her degrees in psychology and nursing. Between her studies, she traveled around five continents and spent time living in Thailand and South Korea (which is probably why she finds the idea of wearing shoes in the house a little weird.)

In addition to writing, Fiona is somewhat obsessive about coffee, music, and adventure sports. Her future goals include swimming with great white sharks and writing a whole truckload of novels, not necessarily in that order.She also writes contemporary YA under the name Paula Stokes.

Contact Info
Fiona Paul's Website
Fiona Paul's Blog
Fiona Paul's Twitter
Fiona Paul's Facebook

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