** Blog Tour ** WEB OF DECEIT by Catherine Lanigan

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Web of Deceit
by Catherine Lanigan
Adult Historical Romance
ebook, 462 pages
June 4th 2016 by Cat Nolan Publishing

A Passion she could not deny—A lie she could never escape—

From the depths of a London slum, Amanda Granger created an illusion of wealth and breeding that became her passport into New York society. With her dazzling beauty and the ease with which she lived her lie, Amanda captivated an adoring public and drove men to bold and dangerous passions.

But for all her fierce ambition, all her daring dreams, Amanda Granger knew that her heart’s desires were held together by the fragile threads of deception and secrets. Triumph would always be elusive until she escaped from her web of deceit.

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Catherine Lanigan is the international bestselling and award-winning author of forty published titles in both fiction and non-fiction, including the novelizations of Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile, as well as over half a dozen anthologies, including “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living your Dream”, “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul”, and more. Ms. Lanigan’s novels have been translated into dozens of languages including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese. Ms. Lanigan’s novels are also available in E-books on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, Apple Store, Mobi and Kobo. Several of her titles have been chosen for The Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs. Her Vietnam war-based novel, The Christmas Star, won the Gold Medal Award Top Pick from Romantic Times Magazine and has also won Book of the Year Romance Gold Award from ForeWord Magazine as well as Book of the Year Romance from Reader’s Preference.

Lanigan is the author of a trilogy of non- fiction books regarding angelic intervention in human life: Angel Watch, Divine Nudges and Angel Tales published by HCI and Cedar Fort.

Skyhorse published Lanigan’s “how-to” book on writing: Writing the Great American Romance Novel.

Lanigan was tasked by the NotMYkid Foundation to write a non-fiction book addressing teen addictions. Ms. Lanigan’s first Young Adult adventure novel, The Adventures of Lillie and Zane: The Golden Flute, was published by Cedar Fort.

Currently, she has published six novels in the Shores of Indian Lake series for Harlequin Heartwarming: Love Shadows, Heart’s Desire, A Fine Year for Love, Katia’s Promise and Fear of Falling. Sophie’s Path pubs July, 2016. She has recently contracted for three more in the series: Danger Zone, Wedding for Isabelle and A Bride for Mica.

As a cancer survivor, Ms. Lanigan is a frequent speaker at literary functions and book conventions as well as inspiring audiences with her real stories of angelic intervention from her Angel Tales series of books. She is an outspoken advocate for domestic violence and abuse and was honored by The National Domestic Violence Hotline in Washington, D.C. (THE EVOLVING WOMAN). She has been a guest on numerous radio programs including “Coast to Coast” and on television interview and talk show programs as well as blogs, podcasts and online radio interview programs.

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EXCERPT:

CHAPTER ONE, PART VI

Many times Harriet would carry a sleeping Amanda home in her arms, except for those nights when Eloise would demand that “little Amanda” sleep in her room with her. At Lord Kent’s instruction, Amanda was allowed to study with the tutor along with his three children. Amanda learned to read, write, and cipher. She had almost a photographic memory and could remember the names of nearly every guest who’d ever called at Kent Manor. She could ride as well as Eloise but not as well as Jonathon, which bothered her tremendously, for Amanda had always believed she could do anything as well as anyone else if she only tried long enough and hard enough. This belief was a cornerstone of Lord Kent’s preaching to his children. Amanda seemed the only one to have heard him.

Life had been nearly idyllic for Amanda until she was ten. With no warning, Lady Kent fired Harriet, stating that the “efficiency in the household had dropped.” To this day, Amanda never understood how her mother could have failed, since Lady Barbara had never been able to find anyone to replace Harriet. However, nearly daily, the walls of Kent Manor echoed with Lady Barbara’s voice as she demanded “efficiency” from the staff.

Shortly after Harriet’s dismissal, Burt Granger died. At the time, Amanda was too young to realize that Burt’s alcoholism had destroyed his liver and pancreas. She also felt no remorse as she stared down at his lifeless body lying in the plain, cheap wooden box.

To Amanda, her father had been a cold, self-centered, mean man. Fortunately for Amanda, she wasn’t exposed to him all that much during the week. But on the weekends, their apartment at Number 8 Shelton Street was a living hell. Often he would come home late on Saturday night after being to the pubs and start an argument with his wife. To this day, Amanda could hear her mother’s screams of pain as he beat her. Amanda, powerless to defend her, prayed to God or the Devil, whichever would take him first, to kill Burt on the spot. Finally, when Amanda reached the age of ten, one of them had listened to her.

Life on Shelton Street improved—for awhile. With no income for Harriet other than what she earned shelling peas near the cathedral, and the absence of Burt’s income, Harriet went back to Lady Kent to plead for her job. She was turned down, but she did manage to get Amanda a job as lady’s maid to Emily and Eloise for five shillings a week.

Five years later, Amanda was making over ten shillings a week, two shillings more than the neighborhood girls, who worked at the garment factories or as telephone operators. Hers was not a difficult job. She was responsible for both the care and the acquisition of wardrobes for both girls, their personal care, their social schedules, and their studies. Eloise was just as disciplined as Amanda. Emily, however, was lazy and always looked for the easiest courses. But Emily was fun and full of pranks, and when her mischief wasn’t getting her into trouble, it was difficult for Amanda not to like Emily.

Amanda finished ironing the dress, stuffed it with tissue, and re-padded the bustle. Quickly, she carried the dress upstairs.

Eloise was bathing when Amanda entered the room. She knocked on the door.

“We’re running late, Eloise. Hurry!”