Authors are Rockstars: Fiona Paul

Today, for the 2nd Annual Authors are Rockstars Tour, I'm hosting the ever wonderful Fiona Paul. Sooo...why is Fiona Paul a rockstar? OH I COULD GO ON AND ON. First, she wrote Falco Venom, Belladonna, Starling, she has two author names, and writes contemporaries under Paula Stokes. CONTEMPORARY. If you didn't know, that's my favorite genre. Absolutely favorite.
Annnnnd. She's nice enough to put up with my nagging and my awkward tweets (speaking of, we're both in the self proclaimed Awkward Faction.) And super sweet! I met her at the Teen Author Carnival of 2012 (First time in NY!) and she gave me her ARC of Venom. This was my first ARC guys. And the first author I ever talked to! She's also helped tweet about Merp Squad Blog Tours and is one of the most social authors I know! And she's one of the only people who's on at like, 3 AM, so. I HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO!
Also, I have three PERSONALIZED Venoms from Fiona in all it's stages: ARC, hardback, and paperback. SO THERE'S THAT. :D

Hi fiction freaks! I’m super-psyched to be chilling on my girl Nikki Wang’s blog for Authors are Rock Stars. Thanks to Jaime, Rachel, and Mindy for including me again. What I have for you today is a deleted scene from Belladonna. It originally took place in Chapter 24, after Cass leaves Belladonna’s creepy mansion, AKA Villa Briani, but before she returns home to Venice. Without being spoilery, I can tell you this scene occurs after Falco realizes that Belladonna’s house physician, Piero Basso, has been putting the moves on Cass, so to speak.

Setting: Florence. Cass’s room at Palazzo Alioni (Madalena’s aunt’s house)

There was a crash and a shout from the direction of the portego. Siena and Cass both looked toward the open door.

            “Stay here,” Siena hissed. She went running for the hallway.

            Cass was tired of blindly obeying orders and hiding away in her chambers. She felt steadier on her feet than she had in days, almost back to normal. She threw on a dressing gown and descended to the portego.

            Piero sat dazedly on the floor, in the middle of a pile of broken wood that had previously been the room’s only table. Falco stood over him, wincing, shaking out the fingers of his right hand. A pair of serving girls peeked around the doorframe of the dining room, curious about the noise but unwilling to intervene. They scurried off when they saw Cass.

            “Falco!” Cass cried out. She blinked hard. “What are you doing?”

            He didn’t answer. Instead, he gripped Piero by the fabric of his doublet and hauled him to his feet. He reared back to strike again, but Piero ducked low and then landed a quick punch to Falco’s midsection, sending him reeling toward the brick fireplace, which thankfully wasn’t lit.

            Cass gasped. She clutched at the belt of her dressing gown with her good hand. “Both of you, stop it this instant!”

            The men ignored her. They circled the room, both crouched low, their eyes filled with hate.

            Cass moved to grab Piero as he went after Falco again, but Siena restrained her. “I’ll get help,” she said breathlessly. She turned around and ran for the back of the house.

            “I warned you.” Falco danced sideways, out of Piero’s reach. “I told you to stay away from her.” He lunged forward, fists flying. There was a sickening crunch as his knuckles collided with Piero’s mouth. Cass recoiled as if she were the one who had been struck. She wanted to look away, but couldn’t.

            Piero staggered back a couple of paces. He lifted a hand to his lip. It came away red. “What makes you think you can speak for her?” he asked. “Is she not betrothed to another? Why should you have all the fun?” He coughed hard. Drops of blood spattered the portego floor, along with something sharp and white. Falco had knocked out one of Piero’s teeth!

            “That’s enough!” Cass yelled, her voice spiraling into hysteria. Tears were welling up in her eyes. “Please.”

            “Quiet, whore,” Piero said.

            “Don’t you dare speak to her that way.” Falco lunged for Piero again, who side-stepped just out of his reach. “I will shut you up for good, I swear it.” Falco’s eyes were wild. The veins on his forearms stood out like tree branches. Cass had never seen him look so ferocious.

            Piero spat. His teeth were bared; he looked almost like one of the dogs that had prowled the gravesite outside Florence. “I saw the two of you at Villa Briani. I saw you in her bed.”

            Falco leapt toward Piero and wrapped his hands around the physician’s neck. Piero gagged. Reaching up, he tried to break Falco’s hold but couldn’t. His face flushed bright red as he struggled to escape. Falco just squeezed harder. Flailing out desperately, Piero grabbed a vase off a nearby pedestal and slammed it over the top of Falco’s head.

            Cass swallowed back a scream. Falso didn’t even flinch. Shards of pottery rained down from his hair. “Swear you will never touch her again,” Falco said slowly. Piero’s face went from red to white to grayish. The physician sunk to his knees, mewling and choking.    

            “Falco, stop it! You’re going to kill him!” Suddenly, the stench of sweat and blood in the room was overpowering, and for the first time that day, Cass felt unsteady on her feet. “Please,” she begged. “For me.”

            At last, as though waking from a trance, Falco released Piero and turned toward Cass. “I—”

            Just then, Siena and Signora Alioni rushed into the room. The signora held a partially finished needlepoint in her hand.

            “What is the meaning of this?” she thundered. “I want both of you out, or I’ll call the guard.”

            “Dottor Basso was just leaving,” Falco said, wiping his brow.

            Piero staggered back to his feet and headed for the stairs. “Your days are numbered, artist,” he hissed. “You are finished in Florence.”

            “I’m not afraid of you, or your empty threats,” Falco said. “And if you ever come near Signorina Cassandra again, I will make sure there is not enough of you left for even the worms to take an interest in.”

            

Venom Blurb

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Author Bio

Fiona Paul lives in St. Louis, MO where she's managed to persuade prestigious universities to award her degrees in psychology and nursing. Between her studies, she traveled around five continents and spent time living in Thailand and South Korea (which is probably why she finds the idea of wearing shoes in the house a little weird.)

In addition to writing, Fiona is somewhat obsessive about coffee, music, and adventure sports. Her future goals include swimming with great white sharks and writing a whole truckload of novels, not necessarily in that order.She also writes contemporary YA under the name Paula Stokes.

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