The Artist has been on sale now for a week or so and is doing fantastically well, but we can always do with some new buyers, so I urge you to check it out.

The book is set in1850s England and Italy; but first, let me introduce you to the main characters.
Theo (short for Theobold) is the son on a Viscount, but rebelled against his stuffy, predictable aristocratic family, and left home as a young man to become an artist. He cares little what society thinks of him, enjoying his somewhat bohemian lifestyle, and particularly enjoys painting nude women.
Lizzie is from a large, poor family, who is persuaded to marry Lionel, a man who turns out to be a rogue. When Lionel tries to force Lizzie into prostitution she runs away. Sleeping in a barn and destitute, she finds it impossible to obtain ‘respectable’ work, because Lionel has spread false stories about her moral character. She hears that Theo is looking for a model for his paintings and, much against her better judgement, is forced to seek employment from him. It seemed like the only alternative to starvation or crime.
As an artist he was good with his hands - where it mattered.

(Please Note, this is Erotica. If Erotica may Offend you, please do not read further:)
Here is an excerpt from early in the story.
Theo rose earlier than usual the next morning, having turned in early the night before. He regretted telling Lizzie not to come until mid-day now, anxious to make use of the bright morning sunshine, but could do nothing about it, as he had no knowledge of where the girl was living. He decided to take a walk instead.
It was pure chance that he picked Oak Lane to stroll down. It was a pretty walk, with magnificent, fully-grown oak trees that gave it its name, and a stream meandering in the dip by the side of the road amongst the trees. Just before he reached the farm entrance, he spotted movement below him. Creeping a little closer he realized it was Lizzie, having her morning wash in the stream, and he darted behind one of the trees to watch without being seen. It was foolish to hide, he told himself, when he could look at that wonderful body all day while he painted her. But there was something wonderfully erotic in spying in secret his little flame-haired model, performing her morning ablutions. She clearly thought herself completely hidden from prying eyes, for there was not a trace of inhibition in her movements.
Lizzie was standing ankle deep at the edge of the water, and had tucked her skirt up on either side of her body to avoid it getting wet. The blouse she wore on the top half of her body was unbuttoned halfway down her chest, and the soft roundness of the top of her breasts were peeking out through the gap. She had a rag in her hand and pushed it down the opened buttons and under her arms. The dampness from the rag caught against the front of the blouse and made the material stick to her breasts, causing her nipples to stand to attention. That was not the only thing that was standing to attention. In his trousers, Theo felt his cock expanding and straining against the rough material.

Having washed her upper body, Lizzie now concentrated on the lower half. Theo was unsure whether he could safely watch without giving himself away by a sigh or a groan. She bent forwards to rinse the rag in the water, away from where Theo was hidden, and he caught a glance of her perfect, shapely bottom peeking out from the bottom of her skirt. What a glorious arse, he thought to himself, and what he wouldn't give to bring the palm of his hand down on that soft, creamy flesh, leaving the imprint of his hand on her behind.
To continue the story:
Lizzie accepts Theo’s offer to be his model and, within a short time, they succumb to temptation and become lovers. Lionel, however, hears of this and, in a jealous rage, he kidnaps Lizzie while Theo is away.
Theo chases after the pair and in a fight Lionel is killed. Theo and Lizzie are forced to flee for Italy, or face a possible hanging for the crime. Can the love between a son of a Viscount and an illiterate country girl survive after such a troubled start? And will they have to face justice for the murder of Lizzie’s husband?
I hope you have enjoyed the short excerpt from The Artist. Here are the Buy Links
If you would like to look at some of my earlier books, written as Rachel de Vine, then visit my Amazon Author Page at: www.amazon.com/Rachel-de-Vine/e/B00N58ULQW
If you read any of my books I will be your friend forever if you leave a review at the site where you purchased the book. Many thanks.
Juliette x
Until tomorrow, when we will rejoin Lilly Wilde's Blog Tour for the final destination, it just remains for me to wish you all a wonderful, peace-filled day.
EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITIES LIFE PRESENTS TO YOU AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!
HAVE A GREAT LIFE AND SPREAD THE LOVE!
CHANGING THE WORLD – ONE READER AT A TIME