THE TROUBLE WITH SIN
Devilish Vignette #2
**The Trouble with Sin (Devilish Vignette #2) is a comic romp that follows on the heels of Devil in the Making. It is also a prequel toJewel of the East ( book #5 in the Devil Devere series)**
The Trouble with Sin … Is the devil within…
Aspiring poet Simon “Sin” Singleton, has lived his life only for larks, laughter, and ladies of easy virtue, eluding defying, and flouting all manner of authority until his impetuous misdeeds finally catch up with him. Having lost his muse, his allowance, and even his friends by edict from a tyrannical father and puritanical mother, Simon is ready to drown himself in drink, until receiving an ingenious proposition that could change everything.
The wages of Sin is… twenty-five percent of the net!
It seems a fantasy come true when Simon is offered an independent income by combining his two great passions— poetry and lewd women —by writing poetry about lewd women! Unfortunately, maintaining anonymity may be much harder than he thought…
EXCERPT:
“How could you possibly wish to risk dirtying your hands with something like this?” Ned asked. “Are you not still bound for the clergy, Sin?”
“That, my friend, is a two-part question that I must answer in kind,” Simon replied. “While my dear, devout mother would have me join the church, I fear my sybaritic nature is decidedly incompatible with a theological vocation. Although I have searched deeply, I cannot seem to summon an inkling of pious sentiment.
“Moreover, given my two great passions are poetry and women of easy virtue—not necessarily in that order—I fear all combined makes me an exceedingly poor candidate for the clergy. This now leads to part two. Why would I dirty my hands? The sad truth is that I am in need of the money.”
“Money? But you receive a more than adequate allowance.”
DeVere interjected, “Most of which he squanders on entertaining the aforementioned women of easy virtue.”
“Admittedly,” Simon confessed, unabashed. “And of late, my father has not only reduced my quarterly allowance, but demands a full account of every ha’penny. I tell you, it is humiliating in the extreme. Unless I wish to live under such a yoke for the next three years, which I positively do not, I must make my own living. And if I must travail for my bread, how better than by the fruits of my pen?”
“So now you combine your passions for poetry and lewd women by writing poetry about lewd women?” Ned replied dryly, “How better indeed.”
“Precisely!” Simon clapped Ned on the back. “Don’t you see the ironic beauty of it? This venture with Harris is the perfect solution.”
“What do you suppose will happen when your dear, devout mama gets wind of it?” Ned asked.
“I have taken every precaution to ensure my anonymity. Only you, DeVere, and Harris are privy to my identity.” He retrieved the book from DeVere. “My contribution to this little work is, and shall forever remain, a well-kept secret.”
