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A Veil of Vines by Tillie Cole ~Excerpt Reveal
But for some, these frivolous fancies are truth.
For some, they are real life.
On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, people have always treated me as someone special. All because of my ancestral name and legacy. All because of a connection I share to our home country’s most important family of all.
I am Caresa Acardi, the Duchessa di Parma. A blue blood of Italy. I was born to marry well. And now the marriage date is set.
I am to marry into House Savona. The family that would have been the royals had Italy not abolished the monarchy in 1946. But to the aristocrats of my home, the abolition means nothing at all.
The Savonas still hold power where it counts most.
In our tight-knit world of money, status and masked balls, they are everything and more.
And I am soon to become one of them.
I am soon to become Prince Zeno Savona’s wife…
… or at least I was, until I met Achille.
And everything changed.
I closed my eyes as the music pounded through my body. The air was sticky from the mass of bodies on the dance floor. My body swayed to the beat, my feet ached from the five-inch Louboutin heels I was wearing, and my skin was flushed from the copious amounts of 1990 Dom Pérignon I had consumed.
“Caresa!” My name split through the harsh sound of drums and synthesized piano notes. I rolled my eyes open and looked across our cornered-off section of the club at my best friend.
Marietta was sitting on an oversized plush couch, waving a new bottle of champagne in my direction. Laughing, I followed my throbbing feet to where she sat and slumped down beside her. In seconds, a champagne flute was in my hand and the bubbly was flowing once more.
Marietta sat forward, swishing her long blond hair over her shoulder. She raised her glass as though she was going to make a toast. But instead, her bottom lip jutted out into a pathetic pout.
I tipped my head to one side, silently asking her what was wrong.
“I was going to make a toast to the Duchessa di Parma, my very best friend,” she shouted over a new but similar-to-the-last song. “To my best friend leaving me here in dull old New York to go marry a real-life godforsaken prince in Italy.” Marietta sighed and her shoulders slumped. “But I don’t want to. Because that would mean this night is almost over, and tomorrow I lose my partner-in-crime.” A sudden sadness bloomed in my chest at her words. Then, when her eyes filled with tears, those words became a punch in the gut.
Placing my glass on the table before us, I moved forward and put my hand on her arm. “Marietta, don’t get upset.”
She put down her own drink and grabbed my hand. “I just don’t want to lose you.”
My stomach rolled. “I know,” I said. Then I didn’t say anything else, but I could see Marietta register my unspoken words. I don’t want to go either.
Keeping my hand in hers, I slumped back against the couch and let my eyes drift over the busy dance floor below. I watched the throng of Upper East Siders losing themselves in the music. A pang of fear swept through me.
This really would be my last night in New York. In the morning, I would fly to Italy, where I would live from that day on.
Marietta shuffled closer to me and cast me a watery smile. “How are you doing?” she asked as she squeezed my hand.
“I’m okay. Just nervous, I guess.”
Marietta nodded her head. “And your papa?”
I sighed. “Ecstatic. Overjoyed that his precious daughter will be marrying the prince he chose for me as a child.” I felt a pang of guilt for speaking about him so negatively. “That was uncalled for,” I said. “You know as well as I do, Baroness von Todesco” —Marietta scowled playfully at my use of her title— “that we don’t really get a choice in whom we marry.” I leaned forward and picked up my champagne. I took a long swig, enjoying the feel of the bubbles traveling down my throat. I handed Marietta her glass and raised mine in the air. “To arranged marriages and duty over love!”
Marietta laughed and clinked her glass with mine. “But seriously,” Marietta said, “are you okay? Truly okay?”
I shrugged. “I honestly don’t know how to answer that, Etta. Am I okay with the arranged marriage? I suppose so. Am I okay with moving to Italy permanently? Not really. I love Italy—it’s my home, I was born there—but it’s not New York. Everyone I know is here in America.” Marietta’s eyes softened with sympathy. “And am I okay with marrying Zeno Savona? The infamous Playboy Prince of Toscana?” I took a deep breath. “I have no idea. I guess that will become apparent in the next three months.”
“In your ‘courting period,’” Marietta said using air quotes, and snorted with laughter. “What a joke. What twenty-three-year-old woman and twenty-six-year-old man need a courting period?”
I laughed at her sassy tone, but then soberly replied, “Ones who don’t know each other at all? Ones who have to see if they can stand each other’s company before sealing their marital fates forever?”
Marietta shuffled closer. “You know as well as I do that you could hate this so-called prince, detest everything he is—and he you—and I’d still be your maid of honor at your wedding on New Year’s Eve.” She sputtered a laugh. “The very fact that the date has been set says it all. This marriage is happening.” Marietta held up her glass, got to her feet and, with arms spread wide, shouted, “Welcome to the life of the European blue bloods of the Upper East Side! Drowning in Prada and Gucci, dripping in diamonds, but having no free will to call our own!”
I laughed, pulling her back down. She broke into hysterics as her ass hit the couch, spilling champagne all over the expensive upholstery. But our laughter waned as the house lights came on one by one. The last of the dance music drifted into silence, and the rich patrons of Manhattan’s most exclusive nightclub began making their way to their limos and town cars. It was three o’clock in the morning, and I had six hours left in the city I loved beyond measure.
After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.
Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.
Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.
When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.
A Veil ofVines by Tillie Cole ~ Blog Tour & Giveaway
But for some, these frivolous fancies are truth.
For some, they are real life.
On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, people have always treated me as someone special. All because of my ancestral name and legacy. All because of a connection I share to our home country’s most important family of all.
I am Caresa Acardi, the Duchessa di Parma. A blue blood of Italy. I was born to marry well. And now the marriage date is set.
I am to marry into House Savona. The family that would have been the royals had Italy not abolished the monarchy in 1946. But to the aristocrats of my home, the abolition means nothing at all.
The Savonas still hold power where it counts most.
In our tight-knit world of money, status and masked balls, they are everything and more.
And I am soon to become one of them.
I am soon to become Prince Zeno Savona’s wife…
… or at least I was, until I met Achille.
And everything changed.
As my papa’s G5 began its descent, I looked out of the window beside me and waited for the plane to break through the clouds. I held my breath, body tense, then suddenly the burnt-orange remnants of daylight flooded the plane, bathing the interior with a soft, golden glow. I inhaled deeply. Italia.
Fields and fields of green and yellow created a patchwork quilt below, rolling hills and crystal-blue lakes stretching as far the eye could see. I smiled as a sense of warmth ran through me.
It was the most beautiful place on earth.
Sitting back in my wide cream leather chair, I closed my eyes and tried to prepare myself for what was coming. I was flying to Florence airport, from where I would be swiftly taken to the Palazzo Savona estate just outside of the city.
I would meet Prince Zeno.
I had met him twice before—once when I was four, of which I had no memory, and again when I was ten. The interaction we’d had as children had been brief. If I was being honest, I had found Zeno to be arrogant and rude. He had been thirteen at the time and not at all interested in meeting a ten-year-old girl from America.
Neither of us had known at the time that that our betrothal had been agreed upon two years prior. It turned out that the trip my papa had taken to Umbria when I was eight was to secure a forever-bond between the Savonas and the Acardis. King Santo and my father had planned for their only children to marry. They were already joined in business; Zeno’s arranged marriage to me would also strengthen both families’ place in society.
I thought back on my New York farewell of nine hours ago and sighed. My parents had driven me to the private hangar and said their goodbyes. My mama cried—her only child was leaving her for a new life. My papa, although sad to see me go, beamed at me with the utmost pride. He had held me close and whispered, “I have never been more proud of you than I am right now, Caresa. Savona Wines’ stock has plummeted since Santo’s death. This union will reassure all the shareholders that our business is still strong. That we are still a stable company with Zeno at the helm.”
I had given him a tight smile and boarded the plane with a promise that they would see me before the wedding. And that had been that.
I was to marry Zeno, and I hadn’t protested even once. I imagined to most modern-day women living in New York, the process of arranged marriages sounded positively medieval, even barbaric. For a blue blood, it was simply a part of life.
King Santo Savona died two months ago. The shareholders of his many Italian vineyards, the stakeholders in Savona Wines, had expected his son, Zeno, to immediately step up and take charge. Instead, Zeno had plunged himself into the party scene even harder than before—and that was quite a feat. Within weeks my papa had flown out to Umbria to see what could be done.
The answer: our imminent union.
Review
I grew up, as I’m sure many of you did, devouring books. I would hide under my covers well after my parents put me to bed with a book and my flashlight sneaking in extra reading time because I couldn’t tear myself away from the pages. I needed that escape from life, that escape into another world. One of my go-to favorites would always be those big, fat classic books of fairy tales. I couldn’t get enough of them. And those books were well worn and loved from the many times I read them cover to cover. So it is no surprise that when I see books that have a modern fairy tale theme I JUMP at the chance to get my hands on them!
Tillie Cole gives us a sweet, heart warming story with A Veil of Vines. Here she reminds us that true love exists and leaves us just feeling utterly happy.
I was captivated with the characters and how she told the story. How they fell for each other. Their struggles, their life. The details that were put in. I fell in love with Italy and the whole wine making process. It all just felt so magical! I felt like it wove this magical spell around me and I was there in Italy with them. I could picture the scenery… which I just adored. The writing just lets you lose yourself in the beauty and love in the story.
I loved that Achille was not your ‘typical’ romance hero. I loved that he was strong but silent and flawed. And that he had struggles that weren’t the typical ones that are talked about in books. As an educator my heart bled as I saw it a mile away… and I was so happy that this was something that Tillie chose to highlight and that she did it with such tact and grace. It always makes my heart so happy when authors bring awareness to issues such as this and show how it is something that can be dealt with and not anything to be ashamed about ❤
I am going we get another book that takes place here!
I definitely recommend this book. If you like modern day fairy tales and happily ever after loves… then you don’t want to miss this one!
I received a complimentary copy of Veil of Vines.
After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.
Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.
Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.
When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.
A Veil of Vines by Tillie Cole ~ Release Day Blitz
But for some, these frivolous fancies are truth.
For some, they are real life.
On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, people have always treated me as someone special. All because of my ancestral name and legacy. All because of a connection I share to our home country’s most important family of all.
I am Caresa Acardi, the Duchessa di Parma. A blue blood of Italy. I was born to marry well. And now the marriage date is set.
I am to marry into House Savona. The family that would have been the royals had Italy not abolished the monarchy in 1946. But to the aristocrats of my home, the abolition means nothing at all.
The Savonas still hold power where it counts most.
In our tight-knit world of money, status and masked balls, they are everything and more.
And I am soon to become one of them.
I am soon to become Prince Zeno Savona’s wife…
… or at least I was, until I met Achille.
And everything changed.
A few minutes later, the thick woods cleared, and I gasped. Acres and acres of gold and green vineyards covered the landscape. The scents of plump grapes and damp soil permeated the warm air. I closed my eyes. It reminded me of being a child. It brought me back to the days before I was taken to New York. I could still feel the heat of the Emilia-Romagna sun on my face, the deep smell of olives, grapes and flowers drifting in the breeze as I ran around our Parma estate.
I smiled a nostalgic smile and allowed my eyes to drift open again. I rested my arms on the window and leaned my chin on them as the limo drove on. There were several small villas peppered over the landscape, their lights twinkling in the distance. They must have been the winemakers’ residences. It was not only the Bella Collina merlot that was made on this land; other reds were too—particularly the Chianti from the region’s finest Sangiovese grapes. The Bella Collina olive oil was also up there with the best. But nothing compared to the famed merlot.
The limo turned right, and my breath caught in my throat. I lifted my head and stared disbelievingly at the property ahead. Bella Collina was a veritable Palace of Versailles tucked away in the Umbrian wilderness.
“Mio Dio,” I whispered as I took in the imposing stone structure, the sweeping steps and the vast number of windows set in the building’s walls. Large pillars of red-veined marble flanked the entrance. Cypress trees framed the estate as if it were the shining star of a fine Renaissance painting. Sculptures of famed Savona monarchs of old stood proudly on the manicured lawns, and strategically placed lighting illuminated the sheer perfection of every piece of topiary.
As a child, I had been to the Palazzo Savona in Florence. It was widely regarded to be one of the finest estates in all of Italy, if not western Europe. But this . . . this . . . there were no words. It was perfectly placed, as if it had always been there. As if it had grown naturally from the Umbrian earth just as sure as the vines and woods that kept this architectural treasure hidden from view.
After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.
Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.
Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.
When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.
Just Another Book Signing
Just Another Book Signing
Miami, FL
August 6, 2016
Proceeds Going To: G-Pact
Hosted by Love Affair With Fiction & Yessi Smith
Buy Your Ticket Today
ADMISSION TICKET (11 am – 3 pm)
With our Admission ticket you will gain access to Just Another Book Signing where you will socialize with your favorite authors for a whopping four hours! That’s plenty of time to unleash your inner fan-girl 😉 All attendees will receive a JABS tote & a coloring book featuring each attending author. Drinks and snacks will be provided!
VIP TICKET (doors open at 10:30 am)
With our VIP ticket you gain access to Just Another Book Signing thirty minutes before regular admission begins. You will get one on one time with your favorite authors before the rest of the attendees. Also, you will receive three raffle tickets for your chance to win some goodies to bring home with you. Sweet deal, right? All VIP ticket holders will receive a JABS tote (with some extra swag!) & a coloring book featuring each attending author. Drinks and snacks will be provided!
HAPPY HOUR (6 pm – 8 pm)
With this ticket you will gain access to our Happy Hour and one ticket stub for a free drink!
Come meet some of your favorite authors!
AUTHORS
Amanda Maxlyn
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Andria Large
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Ashley Hampton
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Christine Brae
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Christy Pastore
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Elle Christensen
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Fabiola Francisco
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Fiona Davenport
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Jessica Florence
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Kate Stewart
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Kristen Hope Mazzola
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Laura Carter
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Laurel Cremant
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Leddy Harper
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M.D. Saperstein
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Makenzie Smith
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Mariah Dietz
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Megan C. Smith
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MJ Morphis
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Rochelle Paige
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S.D. Hendrickson
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ABOUT JABS
The book community is a wide and diverse community with lakes, ponds, oceans and mountains separating us. What binds us together are our authors. Their words touch us. Their stories connect us. A book signing’s success isn’t based on how many books an author sells, but on how many new friends we make. And that is what we are. A community of friends. Book signings allow us to meet up with friends, make new friends, and together create memories that will last a lifetime.
Description… Jill Sava from Love Affair With Fiction and author Yessi Smith are a couple of friends who had the idea of hosting their own signing. They both bring their own unique flair and talent, making Just Another Book Signing an event you don’t want to miss. The signing will take place from 11am – 3pm where you can meet your favorite authors and mix with other avid readers. Snacks and beverages will be provided for everyone in attendance. After the signing, we will be hosting a two hour happy hour. First drink is on us!
Proceeds from our event will go to G-PACT, an organization we feel deserves more recognition. Digestive tract paralysis is a gastric motility disorder that many are left unaware of, and we at JABS want to shed light and enlighten the public about. We have seen how living with such a disorder can impact a person’s life and believe that donating the proceeds from our event will not only benefit G-PACT, but also raise awareness. G-PACT is run entirely by volunteers and is dedicated to providing services to patients who suffer from digestive tract paralysis. Their efforts have reached over 35 countries and all 50 states. In the next few months, they, along with Genetic Alliance, will begin collecting data for gastroparesis for researchers in the field.
We hope you can join us for Just Another Book Signing!
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GIVEAWAY
4 ebooks of choice & 1 signed paperback of choice from any JABS Author
Fearless Anthology ~ Release Blitz & Giveaway
FEARLESS ANTHOLOGY
by Kahlen Aymes, Chelle Bliss, Stacy Borel, Lexi Buchanan, Tillie Cole, Kaylea Cross, Jennifer Foor, KL Grayson, Missy Johnson, Harper Sloan, Nacole Stayton, Hillary Storm,
and BT Urruela (Foreword)
Cover Photo by Eric Battershell
Cover Design by Wicked by Design
Title: Fearless Anthology
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 1, 2015
From some of today’s New York Times, & USA Today Bestselling Authors comes the FEARLESS ANTHOLOGY with all royalties being donated to VETSports.org. VETSports in a non-profit organization, who help combat veterans to better their physical, emotional, & mental health through sports, physical activity, & community involvement.
Anthology Sizzling Stories Include….
~ Foreword ~
by BT Urruela
~ Before Ryan Was Mine (The Remembrance Trilogy – Prequel) ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Kahlen Aymes
~ Throttle Me (Men of Inked Book 1) ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Chelle Bliss
~ Touching Scars ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Stacy Borel
~ Sizzle (Bad Boy Rockers Book 1) ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Lexi Buchanan
~ Sweet Home (Sweet Home Series Book 1) ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Tillie Cole
~ Out of Her League (Suspense Series Book 1) ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Kaylea Cross
~ Noah Mitchell (Mitchell – Healy Series Book 1) ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Jennifer Foor
~ Where We Belong (A Touch of Fate Book 1) ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by K.L. Grayson
~ Wicked Innocence ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Missy Johnson
~ Cage (Corps Security Book 2) ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Harper Sloan
~ A Graceful Mess ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Nacole Stayton
~ Hold Me Closer: Rebel Walking #4 ~
This Book on Amazon | Goodreads
by Hilary Storm
~ Kahlen Aymes ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Chelle Bliss ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Stacy Borel ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Lexi Buchanan ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Tillie Cole ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Kaylea Cross ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Jennifer Foor ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ K.L. Grayson ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Missy Johnson ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Harper Sloan ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Nacole Stayton ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
~ Hilary Storm ~
WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON-US
Multiple winners! Scroll to see prizes! Good luck!
Join the FEARLESS ANTHOLOGY TLG FACEBOOK TAKEOVER 3/1 8:30AM-3:30PM EST
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Release Day Blitz hosted by The Literary Gossip #GossipGirlsPR
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