Guest Blog by Ashe Barker Talking About Her New Book!

Hi Hope and thank you for inviting me over today to share a little about my latest release, A Scandalous Arrangement.

The heroine of the story, Victoria, runs a woollen mill in Yorkshire so is used to holding her own as a woman in a man’s world. She took over the mill when her father died, but was not brought up or educated with that career in mind. She had the typical gentlewoman’s upbringing of her time – needlework, a little French perhaps, poetry, water colours. Maybe that’s why she is so insistent on offering a good education to the daughters of her workers as well as their sons. Like many philanthropic Victorians she runs a school, attached to her mill. Her pupils do well, some of them even going on to secondary education, almost unheard of among the working classes of her day. But Victoria is used to making her own rules. Until Adam Luke comes along of course. Then she has to learn to obey.

Here’s the blurb…

After a foolish wager costs her brother ownership of the weaving mill in Yorkshire which provides her income, Victoria Wynne is left with no choice but to confront the man who took the bet and seek to dissuade him from claiming his prize. Unfortunately for her, that man turns out to be Adam Luke, an experienced, ambitious entrepreneur who is intent on keeping what he won.

 

Upon meeting her, Adam is enchanted by Victoria’s beauty and charm as well as her nerve and self-reliance. Adam is a man of singular tastes, and when Victoria asks to manage the mill in return for a share of the profits, he offers her a bold proposal of his own. She will continue to run the mill as she has for years, but in return for a substantially larger portion of the profits she will also serve at his beck and call behind closed doors, submitting to him in any way he desires.

 

Wanting to earn enough money to buy back the mill as quickly as possible—and with some part of her shamefully aroused by the thought of kneeling naked at Adam’s feet—Victoria accepts his terms. But submission initially proves difficult for a woman used to running her own affairs, and soon enough she finds herself bare-bottomed over his knee for a firm lesson in obedience.

 

Adam’s plans for Victoria run much deeper than just an occasional spanking. She will be stripped naked, bound, and teased until she is aching for release, and then at last he will take her long and hard. As Adam continues to train her, teaching her to yield to his mastery while bringing her more pleasure than she ever thought possible, Victoria cannot help falling for him. But can a lifelong bond truly emerge from such a scandalous arrangement?

 

Publisher’s Note: A Scandalous Arrangement is an erotic romance novel that includes spankings, sexual scenes, anal play, elements of BDSM, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.

 

And now, an excerpt from A Scandalous Arrangement. Victoria is explaining to Adam her ideas about educating working class children.

"What is that building? The one close to the gate into the mill yard?" Adam pointed to the long, single-story structure across the cobbled courtyard.

"That is our school. It was founded by my father."

"A school? Is there no educational facility available in the town then?" He admired the fine set of Victoria's jaw as he questioned her. He had enjoyed his tour of the premises and had learned as much about the woman who ran it as he had about the intricate process of weaving fine cloth. It was clear to him that she took immense pride in Wynne's Weaving Mill, and there was no inch of the building unknown to her, no worker whose name she did not have ready, at the tip of her tongue. Neither was there any aspect of their manufacturing process unfamiliar to her. She knew it all, in intimate detail.

His cock hardened on that last thought as he considered the details of her delightful form. He would learn the finer points of her body too. Soon.

Victoria smiled at him, her satisfaction apparent. "There is. An elementary school caters for children up to the age of twelve, though many leave earlier than that to take up employment. I do not employ anyone under thirteen, and then rarely. I prefer my workers to be at least fifteen years old. They are less accident prone."

"I see. So, the school...?"

"The children of my workers are offered places here, after they leave elementary school. They continue to study until they are of an age to enter my mill."

"This sounds most laudable, But expensive, surely."

"A literate, educated workforce is a profitable one. And loyal. We have fewer accidents, as I mentioned, and my machinery is well-maintained. There is less wastage, so my costs are lower. My workers appreciate the benefits of our school, they want a good education for their children, and I provide it. They know I need to make money to pay for their additional benefits so they work hard. They have a stake in Wynne's too."

"There are other benefits to working here then, apart from the school?"

"Yes. As well as the two teachers we employ, we have a doctor, a dentist, and a lawyer. They practice in the town itself, but their services are offered free to Wynne's workers and their families."

"I see. You pay these professionals a retainer, I assume."

"No. I paid for their training. The most able and gifted children in our school are encouraged not to work in the mill. Instead Wynne's will fund their secondary education, and if they continue to do well, their university studies too. Once they qualify in their chosen profession they are expected to return to Hebden Bridge and repay my investment as I have described. Talent and hard work are rewarded here, Mr Luke, and my mill thrives as a result."

"What if the beneficiaries of your largess do not choose to return here? You could not compel them, surely?"

"I accept that is a possibility, but none has ever abused the system. Our doctor is the son of one of my over-lookers, and the lawyer, Herbert Fuller, lives with his mother in one of our cottages. She is a fine seamstress. I have mechanics who have been trained as engineers, and a very promising young book keeper. All have come through my little school. We grow our own, Mr Luke."

"Adam, please. Your philanthropy is not unique, but it is unusual. And it appears to work. Your financial results speak for themselves. I applaud your vision, Victoria."

"Thank you. Is there anything else you wish to see?"

"No, I think I am satisfied. For now."

"Good. In that case, I will return to my work. I have much to finish this afternoon. Are you taking the train back to London today?"

"No, I intend to remain here overnight."

"I see. In that case would you like me to summon a carriage to take you to your hotel? You will be staying at the White Lion, I presume."

"Why would I do that when I have perfectly fine house in the vicinity? Twelve bedrooms no less?"

He enjoyed her perplexed expression almost as much as he had her outrage earlier. "But, that is my home. My family are there. My mother."

"I know that. I am looking forward to making their acquaintance."

"You said I could have the house back."

"I did, and I will be as good as my word. But for now, Wynne House belongs to me and I wish to enjoy its comforts. Shall we go?" He offered her his elbow.

"This is impossible, quite improper."

"Improper? Oh Victoria, I look forward to re-educating you as to the concept of what constitutes improper behaviour. I assure you, your parameters will shift."

 

 

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More about me:

 

I’ve been an avid reader of fiction for many years, erotic and other genres. I still love reading, the hotter the better. But now I have a good excuse for my guilty pleasure – research.

I tend to draw on my own experience to lend colour, detail and realism to my plots and characters. An incident here, a chance remark there, a bizarre event or quirky character, any of these can spark a story idea.

When not writing – which is not very often these days - my time is divided between my role as resident taxi driver for my teenage daughter, and caring for a menagerie of dogs, rabbits, tortoises. And a very grumpy cockatiel.

I have twenty four (at the last count) titles on general release with publishers on both sides of the Atlantic, and I have several more in the pipeline. All my books feature BDSM. I write explicit stories, always hot, but they offer far more than just sizzling sex. I like to read about complex characters, and compelling plots, so that’s what I write too. Strong, demanding Doms are a given, often paired with new submissives who have a lot to learn.

I have a pile of story ideas still to work through, and keep thinking of new ones at the most unlikely moments, so you can expect to see a lot more from me.

I love to hear from readers. You can find me on my blog, and on the Totally Bound site. I’m on Facebook, and twitter and now on Tsu as well. I’m on Pinterest too, and Goodreads