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Born To Blush - Book Tour and Giveaway

7/9/2020

96 Comments

 
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Born to Blush
by Fran Connor
Genre: Historical Romantic Adventure 

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When she finds honest and paid employment far away from the Victorian Workhouse where she grew up, Mary leaves with hope and sadness in her heart.
Her future looks secure; that is the hope but she must leave behind a childhood friend, the son of a wealthy local family with whom she managed to cross the social divide; that is the sadness.
Not all employers in 1850s England are bad and young Mary works her way up the servants' ladder to become lady's maid to a kind aristocrat. She grows into an attractive young woman which does not go unnoticed by her employer's lascivious husband.
When her Ladyship unexpectedly dies, the husband makes unwelcome advances towards Mary.
Her defiance of his carnal desires sets in motion a series of adventures and catastrophes.
This thrilling romantic adventure follows the plucky Mary on her journey into the depths of Dickensian England where she encounters a myriad of odd characters some of whom mean her harm while others strive to help her.
When someone from her past reappears, her joy is tinged with fear. Much has happened to her since last they met. To cross the social divide as adults is far more difficult than in childhood and romance instead of friendship complicates it even further.
Mary has a secret. Should it be discovered it will have her transported as a felon to Australia.
If you love your historical romantic fiction to have a gutsy heroine, this is the novel for you.


Goodreads * Amazon ​


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Mary stood with Mrs Jones at the back of the graveside mourners in St Andrew’s churchyard. The vicar intoned but Mary’s thoughts were cast back to another graveyard where her brother lay. A tear escaped. Mrs Jones put her arm around her.
The budding branches of an oak tree swayed in a cold breeze. At the far side of the cemetery a pile of last Autumn’s leaves smoldered adding an acrid taste to the air.
The vicar finished his intoning which the servants under the direction of Mr Stevens took as the signal to board a horse drawn omnibus arranged specially by the butler to take them to the church and the internment and afterwards to get back to the house to put on the reception for the invited gentry.
Mary’s heart felt heavy. Lady Elizabeth Glendenning had been a wonderful employer. She had taught her how to swim and had Mr Stevens teach her arithmetic, English and history and even taught her how to speak properly. For how the people in High Society conducted themselves she had had a ringside seat. The thought brought sadness mixed with the melancholy of the day as for the first time in her life she felt the sin of envy. Mary knew she had the skills to pass herself off as part of the upper echelons of society, it wasn’t that difficult, but the chance would never come her way. The next best thing would be a lady’s maid but now there was no need for a lady’s maid at Hartford House.
She would find other employment. Lady Elisabeth, even though she was on her death bed, took the trouble to write her a letter of recommendation.
Chapter Six
Mary sat on her bed and slipped off her leather soled ankle boots without metal tips. The sad day had been long. So many to feed after the funeral when she would have preferred to be in her room alone with her thoughts.
A knock at the door brought her thoughts back to the present. She stood and with heavy steps made her way to the door and opened it to find Polly the kitchen maid.
“Master says he wants to see you in the study, Mary.”
“Thank you.” Well this is it. He’ll either offer me the parlour maid job or send me away. He doesn’t need to bother because I’m going anyway. I can get another job with the letter of recommendation. Mary put her boots on. Butterflies in her tummy and a racing heartbeat went with her to Sir Edward’s study on the ground floor with its view of the ornate gardens at the back of Hartford House. The sun was on the cusp of setting, coloring the sky shades of orange and giving a sepia hue to the land. A nice evening after a horrible day.
“Ah, Dunsford, come in,” said Sir Edward. “What are we to do with you?”
“I wish to give in my notice, sir.”
“Really? I was about to offer you the parlour maid post and Mrs Jones isn’t getting any younger. One day soon she will retire and I shall need a good housekeeper with my wife gone.”
“Thank you, sir. I shall work whatever notice is required and then leave.” Mary let out a sigh of relief that she had stood up for herself. Her relief felt tinged with caution. On the day of his wife’s funeral it didn’t seem right for him to concern himself with a servant’s position.
That would normally be left to Mr Stevens and Mrs Jones.
Sir Edward stepped over to the study door and turned a key in the lock.
Mary’s heart thumped. She could see a horrible expression on his face as he turned towards her.
“Of course, but we have unfinished business before you leave, Dunsford.” He stepped towards her.
Mary backed away but he was between her and the locked door. She could see no other way out. What he wanted was clear to her. Mary had never been with a man or boy before. She hadn’t even kissed one except once when she kissed Johnny Sandes on the cheek which seemed so long ago.
Sir Edward closed the gap and grabbed her, holding her tight against him. “I can make your life very comfortable or very bad.” He forced his lips against hers. She bit his lip, struggled and managed to step back from him. He lunged at her again. In a desperate swipe she clawed her fingernails down his cheek drawing blood. He put his hand to his face and bellowed.
Mary ran for the door, managed to unlock it and get out into the corridor. As if she had wings on her feet she ran upstairs, into her room and dragged the washstand in front of the door.
Her mind raced as she tried to think what to do. If she went to Mrs Jones or Mr Stevens, they would do nothing because there was nothing they could do. They would lose their jobs if they intervened. Her ears tuned to any noise in the corridor outside but detected none. She expected him to come to her door, maybe break it down. But no sound came from outside.
As she sat on the bed a plan began to unfold. She would leave in the morning and take the letter of recommendation that Lady Elizabeth had given her. Though she wanted to keep the diamond earrings she would need to find accommodation and eat until she found a suitable position perhaps in Dorset or Wiltshire. If she could get to Southampton, she would board a train for Dorchester on the newly opened line. Only if her money ran out would she sell the earrings . On a salary of thirty pounds a year she had saved some and bought herself a few good clothes that she could wear away from the house.
Mary sat up all night listening to every creak and groan that the house made as it settled itself. ​

​
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Fran now lives in SW France with his wife Viv after serving thirty three years in a UK police force retiring with the rank of Chief Inspector. He doesn’t do cop stories. He says he’s seen enough of the real thing. He enjoyed his time in the police during which he met many odd characters some of whom creep into his novels in very different circumstances.
Without wandering into the political minefield of today’s policing issues, he’s saddened by the current events.
He’s the author of nine novels and nine novellas published in his name and a host of others that he has ghostwritten.
Although he doesn’t restrict himself to a particular genre, the two he likes to work on most are Historical Romance with a large dose of Adventure and Contemporary Thrillers. Most but not all of his protagonists are female. Women in his opinion make more interesting characters as they are more complex and often need to think their way out of jeopardy rather than bash their way out.
He does do ‘steamy’ in some novels but not violence against women. It’s anathema to him after his service. If a woman is in a tight corner she gets out of it before anything serious happens to her.
Born to Blush falls in the Historical Romance genre.
When not writing, Fran keeps himself fit by walking Molly, a Griffon Nivernais dog who is the real boss of the house, tending his large garden and keeping his old farmhouse from falling down. Set in the French countryside surrounded by vineyards, orchards and ancient hilltop villages he finds it inspires his stories.
If you enjoy Born to Blush you may like two of his other Historical Romance novels “Passarinho and the Highlander” and “Honourable Lies”.


Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads ​



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96 Comments
Bernie Wallace
7/9/2020 06:07:59 am

How long did it take you to write your book?

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Wendy Jensen
7/9/2020 09:53:40 am

Beautiful book cover.

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Rita Wray
7/9/2020 10:17:21 am

Sounds like a good book.

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Susan Smith
7/9/2020 11:19:14 am

Sounds great, I like the cover.

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Beyond Comps
7/9/2020 12:22:06 pm

Great cover!

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Sara Zielinski
7/9/2020 12:26:31 pm

I think this book has an amazing cover

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Shirley Ann Speakman
7/9/2020 03:46:53 pm

I enjoyed the excerpt the book sounds really good and the cover looks great too.

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wendy hutton
7/9/2020 03:47:07 pm

love the cover, thanks

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Marisela Zuniga
7/9/2020 03:49:03 pm

The cover looks so pretty!

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Calvin
7/9/2020 04:25:27 pm

Cool, haven't come across much of this genre before.

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Mya Murphy
7/11/2020 05:29:52 pm

Wow.. Loved the blurb. Kept me riveted and absolutely beautiful cover..

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Victoria Alexander
7/9/2020 05:05:38 pm

Thanks for sharing!

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Sherry
7/9/2020 05:25:29 pm

Sounds like a very good book.

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Elaine
7/9/2020 06:10:33 pm

Thanks for sharing the excerpt.Sounds like a good book

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Shirley O
7/9/2020 07:07:05 pm

Sounds like a good book, the cover is awesome.

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Amy F
7/9/2020 07:45:16 pm

Love a romance with adventure!

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Terri Quick
7/9/2020 08:41:53 pm

Beautiful cover

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Debbie P
7/9/2020 10:38:15 pm

I really liked the excerpt and I can't wait to read it! Very pretty cover!

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Del
7/10/2020 02:07:08 am

The cover looks great!

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Michele Soyer
7/10/2020 06:08:28 am

Have not read a book in this genre before.. Have to put it on my TBR list.. looks interesting....

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Cathy French
7/10/2020 08:24:32 am

I love the manor on the cover. Sounds like a great read. I love historical stories.

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shannon zeidan
7/10/2020 11:28:19 am

I love the cover! Looking forward to reading this!

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Julie Murphy
7/10/2020 03:27:44 pm

Sounds like a good story.

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Angela Krumm
7/10/2020 05:07:12 pm

I love the premise and the title.

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Francine Anchondo
7/10/2020 05:59:47 pm

Sounds like a good book

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Stephanie Liske
7/10/2020 07:30:38 pm

I like the cover.

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Sandy Klocinski
7/10/2020 07:50:49 pm

Awesome book cover! Sounds like an interesting read. Looks amazing

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Ann Fantom
7/10/2020 08:07:44 pm

I like the cover. It is very pretty.

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LYNN CLAYTON
7/10/2020 08:45:02 pm

oh nice cover looks like a great read

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Chrysa
7/10/2020 08:47:15 pm

That's an amazing house on the cover!

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bn100
7/10/2020 08:55:02 pm

nice cover

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Barbara Montag
7/10/2020 08:57:48 pm

I would enjoy this book for a change of pace.
The cover is great.
Thank you for sharing this review.

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Renata
7/11/2020 12:58:56 am

Nice cover

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Sandy Klocinski
7/11/2020 05:58:43 am

Awesome cover! Caught my attention.

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Elizabeth R
7/11/2020 07:46:23 am

I like the cover, it really portrays the innocence of Mary.

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Rachel Schichtl
7/11/2020 10:00:53 am

I love Victorian Homes like the one on the cover.

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Ginger Hafer
7/11/2020 11:00:57 am

Nice cover. Has a romantic look to it. Looking forward to reading the story.

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Nickie
7/11/2020 01:13:51 pm

Great cover

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Alaskan
7/11/2020 02:26:22 pm

İ love web desing

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Chrystal D
7/11/2020 02:58:37 pm

Love the cover, I want that house!

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Victoria Scott
7/11/2020 04:02:24 pm

Sounds great! Thanks for sharing!

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avm
7/11/2020 05:33:17 pm

looks awesome

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Barrie
7/11/2020 09:53:22 pm

I love the house on the cover! It looks majestic!

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Emily Gibb
7/11/2020 10:11:01 pm

I love the cover!

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Lily Kwan
7/11/2020 11:13:08 pm

I think the cover looks nice.

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Sarah L
7/12/2020 12:22:25 am

Looks like an interesting book.
Thanks for the contest. 

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Serge B
7/12/2020 05:39:47 am

I thought it was a pleasant and pretty cover

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kath g
7/12/2020 08:38:47 am

I like stories in this time period and the cover draws me into it...

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Debbi Wellenstein
7/12/2020 10:07:23 am

The cover looks really good. Thanks for the giveaway!

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Cynthia C
7/12/2020 11:43:22 am

Thank you for sharing the excerpt. It sounds like an interesting story.

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annette campbell
7/12/2020 11:52:01 am

I love the cover! Prettiest one I have seen!

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jan
7/12/2020 03:34:32 pm

I have to admit that I thought the cover was of a porcelain doll!

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Mary Cloud
7/12/2020 06:59:56 pm

No questions - I like the cover

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Julie Lundstrom
7/12/2020 07:30:58 pm

I like the cover of this book.

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Heather Mahley
7/12/2020 09:34:19 pm

I really like the cover

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Kelly D
7/13/2020 02:26:12 pm

I like the cover. It makes me want to know more about the character.

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Clem
7/14/2020 01:44:29 am

The cover is nice.

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Diana Hardt
7/14/2020 06:21:57 am

Beautiful cover. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.

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beth shepherd
7/14/2020 01:19:46 pm

This looks like a great read! Thank you

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Melissa
7/14/2020 02:08:48 pm

i like the cover!

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Peggy Salkill
7/14/2020 10:05:25 pm

Sounds like a good read!

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Jennylyn Gross
7/17/2020 04:40:43 am

i like the cover

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JANICE WRIGHT
7/17/2020 01:15:48 pm

I love the manor house on the cover. I'm a big fan of splendid old houses.

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Nina Lewis
7/17/2020 06:16:09 pm

Sounds great! :)

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Ellie Wright
7/17/2020 06:40:21 pm

Sounds like a great book. I'm looking forward to reading it.

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Jon Heil
7/18/2020 09:20:32 am

Great cover!

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Thomas Gibson
7/18/2020 11:29:56 am

The cover of Born to Blush looks amazing.

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Marcy Meyer
7/18/2020 02:25:07 pm

Sounds really good. The cover is pretty.

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Paula
7/22/2020 10:59:06 am

The cover art seems appropriate for the book. Good job.

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Karin
7/22/2020 12:07:11 pm

The cover has a ghostly feel to it

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Robyn Bellefleur
7/22/2020 07:49:51 pm

I really like the cover. It's very unique.

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Melanie Titus
7/24/2020 04:06:11 pm

The cover is beautiful and the excerpt left me wanting to red the book. I read the blurb bout the author and I loved the bit about how the women never come to real harm and always get out of "a corner" before it's too bad because of his service. :D It made me want to read his books even more!!

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Max Morais Dos Santos
7/26/2020 05:00:26 pm

Nice art

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IRENE
7/26/2020 10:20:18 pm

The girl on your cover looks so young (& innocent)!! Like the sounds of the story line & wonder what her secret is?

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molli taylor
7/30/2020 08:36:02 pm

this looks great!

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AuntySuzany
8/1/2020 03:51:35 am

Great cover! Thank you for sharing!

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Veronica Lee link
8/1/2020 06:18:02 am

Sounds like a sweet read! I absolutely love the cover.

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Joy F
8/1/2020 07:08:43 pm

Sounds good.

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Rose
8/2/2020 12:54:17 am

I love it.

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Bill Hoff
8/4/2020 08:47:25 pm

My daughter would njoy this book

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Sarah Pearce
8/6/2020 02:16:13 pm

Beautiful cover! How long does it typically take you to write a book?

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Kristen
8/6/2020 02:53:24 pm

She looks so young and naive.

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Daniel M
8/6/2020 05:31:22 pm

like the cover

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MarciaF
8/7/2020 09:12:59 pm

As sweet as she looks you just know something is brewing!

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Amy Green
8/8/2020 02:06:41 pm

I was drawn to the cover, but stayed for Fran’s terrific writing! I’m a natural redhead myself, so I love whenever fictional heroines get red-haired representation! Plus, who could resist such an engaging storyline?

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Juana Esparza
8/8/2020 02:19:56 pm

I liked both the excerpt, and the beautiful book cover.

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Olivia Parker
8/9/2020 07:32:28 am

I love the cover looks interesting. I would love to meet the author!

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Aubrey Daniels
8/9/2020 11:43:52 am

Love the cover

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Betty Curran
8/9/2020 02:31:29 pm

Both the cover and the excerpt are very interesting.

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Jenn
8/9/2020 06:01:01 pm

Nice cover. I like the mysterious vibe to it with the photo of the big mansion at the bottom.

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Hesper Fry
8/9/2020 07:21:20 pm

The book cover looks really nice and sounds like a great read!

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Leah Shumack
8/9/2020 07:30:21 pm

This is a really pretty cover!

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Sand
8/9/2020 10:35:27 pm

Looks like a great cover!

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Emily B.
8/9/2020 10:46:13 pm

Sweet looking girl on the cover.

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Stacey A Smith
8/9/2020 11:05:02 pm

the cover has a cool old stile look to it.

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Jerry Marquardt
8/9/2020 11:10:27 pm

I would like to give thanks for all your really great writings, including Born to Blush, and wishing the best in keeping up the good work in the future.

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