Official Reader's Guide to the Lyon's Den Connected World

Welcome to the Official Reader's Guide to the Lyon's Den Connected World!

These are the guidelines that every author who has written in the world has gone by. Here's the scandalous and sexy world of The Lyon's Den:

Regency London: Rich women with scandalous reputations pay the Black Widow of Whitehall to find them wealthy husbands from her gambling den on the West End.

The Black Widow of Whitehall is Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon and her gambling establishment is called the Lyon's Den, a front for the rather ruthless matchmaking service. She takes an 'order' from a wealthy woman and then targets the men who come into her establishment, rating them on their viability. If they meet her standards, she will coerce them into the marriage contracts by rigging the games they are playing.

The Lyon's Den isn't a usual gambling establishment - they bet on odd things, like drinking liquor that's been mildly poisoned to see who passes out first, or feeding gluttons too much to see who will vomit first. There are traditional games, but it's more known for its odd and sometimes ruthless games.

Because there are high stakes to be paid out, it lures some of London's finest men. Mrs. Dove-Lyon serves the best wines and alcohol, plus she always has the best food in London. There is a good deal to attract high stakes gamblers and she knows it. Her matchmaking is not a secret and men go willingly to the establishment, some of them looking for a wealthy bride as much as the disreputable women are looking for husbands.

Mrs. Dove-Lyon comes from a very old family, but it was her husband's family who built the house that is home to the Lyon's Den. Located on the west end of London on Cleveland Row, the home was once known as Lyon's Gate Manor and is distinctively painted blue. The truth is that Mrs. Dove-Lyon herself was a woman of questionable repute, rumored to be a former courtesan before she married Colonel Sandstrom T. Lyons, a much older man from a highly respected family. When Colonel Lyons died only a few years into their marriage, Bessie came to see that there was no real money left, only a mountain of debt hidden behind a good family name. But since the house belonged to Mrs. Dove-Lyon, she decided to do what she knew best - and turned it into the most lucrative gambling dens in London. By the time our stories are set, The Lyon's Den has been in existence for about ten years. Mrs. Dove-Lyon is a widow and always wears black, her face shrouded, so no one really knows what she looks like or how old she really is. This makes her mysterious.

And powerful.

Now, dear reader, you know what our authors know heading into the Lyon's Den. I hope this guide shows you just how exciting, dangerous, and diverse the Lyon's Den can be. A truly awesome connected world of wonderful characters and wonderful authors.