Wickedly Yours
Erotic Romance Fiction Magazine
A
GENTLEMAN SEDUCED
Sharon Page
Genre: Erotic Historical Romance
Format: eBook
ISBN:
1-4199-0006-4
(cover art courtesy of Ellora's Cave)
BUY THE BOOK
This book is available at the following location(s):
Ellora's Cave
From The Back Cover:
Desperate to enjoy one glorious adventure before submitting
to her boring—but enviable—match, Diana Tiverton arranges to
masquerade as a madam for one night. Forced to flee the brothel
before she is discovered, Diana accepts the help of the
dangerously intriguing Lucian Northcote, Viscount Pembroke.
Escaping in his well-appointed carriage, Diana quickly discovers
that all of the excitement she could possibly want is right in
front of her…
After impulsively helping the reckless innocent, Lucian is more
than happy to indulge her need for sensual adventure. But before
their few days of wicked passion are up, Lucian finds to his
shock that he is becoming…A Gentleman Seduced.
The Buzz:
Just Erotic Romance Reviews (JERR): 5 stars (reviewed
by Aggie Tsirikas): "Sharon Page is a lady to watch out for. Her
writing style is sharp, sexy and will seduce you from the first
page."
The Historical Romance Club
http://www.bcsupernet.com/users/wodan/ing/sp01.html "Sharon
Page is a truly delightful storyteller who knows how to make sex
not only highly arousing but full of emotion and warmth."
Sizzling Romances
http://sizzlingromances.tripod.com/reviews/october2004.html#review3
(reviewed by Renee): “Ms. Page has filled this searing Regency
romance with page after page of scorching, pulse-pounding
sex..."
Ecata Romance
http://www.ecataromance.com/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=512
(reviewed by Amelia Richard): "With the heat at fire level, Ms.
Page’s Regency story will fulfill the wishes of readers who
crave a steamy tale set in a historical setting. This well
thought out story is entertaining with a clever, wicked plot,
which is totally satisfying…."
Coffee Time Romance
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/gentlemanseduced.html
(reviewed by Sheryl): "A Gentleman Seduced is the kind of story
that kept me engrossed from start to finish...if you like a
regency setting with hot passionate sex and strong characters,
then this is a book you must read."
Meet The Author:
A writer, a
wife, and a mother of two, Sharon Page holds an industrial design degree and
also manages a scientific research and development program. She finds
writing tales of sexy Regency rakes and seductive vampires is the perfect
escape from her technical world.
Book Excerpt ~ Part One:
Diana surveyed the salon with breathless
excitement. She’d overheard snippets of conversations carried out between
the patrons and the courtesans. They spoke with the gentle manners of the
ballroom, yet conducted business about the most scandalous things.
She’d learned much about the charming and
handsome gentlemen prowling the drawing room. The Earl of Cambridgeshire,
for example, a blond god with a muscular frame and midnight blue eyes, had a
penchant for bondage. The Duke of Arndrake enjoyed a good spanking and had
an adorable and firm derriere. Mr. Plum had the most versatile tongue and
used it with generous abandon, loving the musky scent of a woman’s sex.
Diana felt like an utter innocent. She may
not be able to indulge in sexual tussling with any of these men, but they
were attractive to behold. The earl’s gorgeous blue eyes could make any
maiden’s heart race.
“My dear, you are breathtaking as usual.” A
deep, rumbling voice sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine. A large hand
rested momentarily against her bottom, cupping the curve through her
sapphire-blue skirts.
Diana spun about to meet Viscount Pembroke’s
darkly lashed green eyes, glittering in the soft glow of the wall sconces.
He smiled as he withdrew his hand. “Mrs. Wilson.” He kissed her gloved
fingertips.
Her heart raced at the touch of his warm
lips. Was he fooled? She had styled her hair like her sister’s and was
wearing one of Ivory’s low-cut gowns. Pads in the bodice plumped up her
breasts so they spilled as generously above the square neckline as Ivory’s
did. The dark blue fabric made her eyes appear the blue of Ivory’s instead
of her own violet.
The viscount straightened. “I do not believe
I have yet made the acquaintance of the pretty maid in white.”
Ivory! He wanted Ivory. Diana trembled. She
could never allow that. She would give herself away if she did.
“What is her name?” His fingers stroked the
inside of her wrist with seductive skill. A fiery shock raced from her wrist
to her intimate regions. She took a deep breath, inhaling the viscount’s
scent of sandalwood and clean skin.
She would have to give him a name.
“Angelique,” she murmured.
“Virgin?” he queried.
“An innocent from the country, my lord,” she
parried.
“I would be delighted to expand the
experience of your new sweet innocent.”
It was impossible to think with him stroking
her hand. “Perhaps a girl of more skill—”
“Ah, but an innocent is such a charming
novelty.” He released her hand and gave her a devilish grin.
She quickly gathered her wits. “I am sorry,
my lord, but the girl is already spoken for this evening.”
“I’ll pay double.”
Oh heavens. Would Ivory, as a businesswoman,
be upset if she refused the offer?
“Name your price, my beautiful lady,” he
whispered, holding her gaze intently.
“Perhaps I should hold an auction or present
her to the gentleman most able to please,” she bantered.
He laughed, eyes teasing. “My dear Mrs.
Wilson, I am sure my ten magnificent inches are up to the job.”
She caught her breath, stunned with the sudden
vision of the gorgeous, broad- shouldered viscount naked and rampant. Her
lips moved but no sound came out. What should she say?
Mr. Wembly, a stocky auburn-haired man,
clapped his hand on Pembroke’s shoulder. “Come on, old man. We’re about to
play a game of blind man’s bluff.”
“Not interested, Wembly.”
Diana almost fainted with relief—she now had
a way to both distract Pembroke from Ivory and to sneak away from
Ivory’s watchful gaze. She smiled sweetly at the viscount. “How
entertaining. I should like to watch you play, my lord.”
“Then play I shall,” he conceded, gallantly
offering his arm.
Book Excerpt ~ Part Two:
Lucien Northcote,
Lord Pembroke removed his clothing with the assistance of a competent
valet—a service provided by Ivory for her patrons’ convenience. Ivory ran a
superb establishment, he reflected, as he handed over his shirt.
She was different
tonight. He’d sensed her awareness of him, noticed her slight shiver as he
murmured ten inches. She’d caught her breath, sank her teeth into her
lower lip. Normally, Ivory was impervious to her clientele’s charms.
He undid the falls of his trousers.
Why was she
different tonight?
Lucien settled on
a chair. A boot boy knelt and presented his backside, Lucien planted his
foot against the boy’s rear and the boy tugged to remove Lucien’s tall
Hessians.
Lucien stood to
strip naked. He was already hard—intrigued by Ivory. His cock stood straight
up and he grinned as the silk blindfold was tied over his eyes by graceful
feminine hands. The waiting courtesan, Sophie, giggled and let her fingers
toy with his erection before she led him to the curtains separating the
changing room from the ballroom. He fumbled with the drapes, the velvet
skimming his naked skin. Sophie’s hands rested on his shoulders then slid
down to squeeze his buttocks. She drew the curtain aside and pushed him
forward. He heard giggles and squeals as he entered.
He groped blindly
toward the squeals.
© Copyright
SHARON PAGE, 2004.
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave, Inc.
Interview:
Wickedly Yours is
delighted to bring you this interview with author Sharon Page...
Who is Sharon Page?
My tongue-in-cheek Ellora’s Cave bio describes me as a feisty Regency
miss and fearless vampire slayer. Favorite fantasies! Actually I’m a mother
of two young children and studied product design at university. I’ve been
practically writing for my whole life, though I had to take time away from
that dream for a while for more practical things—like school, a job,
renovating the house, etc.
Who are your favorite authors?
Choosing favorites is very tough. In historical romance, I’d say Amanda
Quick, Jo Beverly, and Stephanie Laurens. Another favorite is Kathryn Smith
who writes sensual emotional historical romances. While these authors don’t
realize it, they have been my mentors, and I’ve learned so much about the
craft from studying the way they blend lush prose, heroes to die for, and
heroines to root for. As a huge Agatha Christie fan, I was inspired by the
way these authors combine mystery and suspense in romance. I’ll be doing
that myself in my next book. In hot paranormal romance, I love Sherrilyn
Kenyon. My personal fave is ‘Dance with Devil’ in which she deftly turns a
‘villainous’ man from a previous book into a hero and the reader completely
falls in love with him.
A GENTLEMAN SEDUCED is your first book. How has your life as a
published author been? Everything you dreamed of since you started writing?
Well, of course the dream is a seven-figure advance, a mansion, and
writing by the pool in the afternoons. This hasn’t quite happened. Since
I’ve been a member my local Romance Writers of America chapter for a while,
I knew a little about what to expect.
It’s wonderful to know that my stories will be shared with readers. That
first time I saw my name on my book was a thrilling moment. And it was also
exciting to receive those first great reviews and emails from readers who
enjoyed my book. Obviously, since writing is a career, there are so many
business aspects that now demand attention—promotions, deadlines, contracts,
etc. Fortunately my job in an engineering firm prepared me for contracts,
deadlines, and the like. And I love writing erotic romance. Frankly I can be
very obsessive about writing, crafting scenes (and thinking about them) all
day and night.
One of my most fun moments occurred at the Romance Writers of America
conference in Reno. Jayne Ann Krentz was autographing a book for me.
Completely star-struck, I told her how her workshops and books had been such
an inspiration for me, and then I mentioned that I had just sold to
Kensington. She gave me a congratulatory hug. That was so great of her. So
many published romance authors are wonderfully giving of their knowledge,
support, advice, and time!
What can you tell us about your first book A GENTLEMAN SEDUCED?
I already loved writing very sensual historical romances, so learning
about Ellora’s Cave gave me the incentive to write a truly erotic story. I
wanted to explore the pleasures a rakish man would truly seek at that time,
and loved the idea of pairing him with a proper young woman. The blind man’s
bluff scene in the brothel was based upon an actual painting from a book of
Regency-era erotica.
What I wanted to capture in ‘A Gentleman Seduced’ was the growing
intimacy and the overwhelming passion of first falling in love.
What characteristics did Diana have to make her a perfect heroine in
your book?
I really enjoyed writing from Diana’s perspective. It was so much fun to
have her be innocent but so open to sexual exploration that she rocks
Lucien’s world. In this tutor and student story, the student turns tables on
the teacher and gives him lessons in love and desire. Diana is in conflict
with her society—she’s facing marriage to a man she doesn’t love. She’s in
conflict with the rigid restrictions placed on women at the time but she
blossoms as Lucien teaches her that propriety has no place in the bedroom.
What quality do you believe are needed to make a great hero?
With Lucien, I loved exploring how a notorious rake falls devotedly in
love. Diana Gabaldon’s Jamie Fraser, in Outlander, has a wonderful line
where he reassures the heroine that there are now two of them to face
problems. The perfect hero is man capable of intimacy and devotion, one who
wants to build that special partnership with the heroine. Of course a hero
is also sexy, charming, intelligent, and powerful. I love to create bad boy
heroes. Lucien is a ‘bad boy’ in the bedroom, though he is also driven by a
strong code of honor.
I think that’s the enduring attraction of the alpha male. He has the
strength, intelligence, and courage to solve any problem and face any
danger, but what makes him a romance hero is when he learns to respect and
rely on the heroine. The heroine makes him emotionally willing to forge an
enduring love and partnership
What do you love about writing the Regency period? Do you plan to do
anything else?
I loved the idea of writing erotic romance in the Regency, where passion
smoldered beneath the proper, carefully mannered society. There were so many
wild, exotic sexual pleasures available to handsome and wealthy rakes. Also,
it’s so much fun to be able to step into a scandalous orgy, or be lady of
the manor, or be dazzling at a ball. Hey, I can’t waltz without leading, so
its fun to indulge in the fantasy.
In regard to plans to do anything else. Yes, I definitely have them. See
the answer to ‘what’s next’!
How do you keep the sex scenes fresh?
I believe it’s the emotion, vulnerability, and intimacy inherent in sex
that makes erotic romance powerful and engaging. Sex is communication and a
powerful tool in romance because it allows characters to discover each
other, but also to be confused by the signals they receive. I love to have
each sex scene lead to a specific emotional revelation.
What’s next?
There’s lot of great stuff coming up next. This summer I sold to
Kensington’s new Aphrodisia erotic romance line. My first of three erotic
regency stories, entitled SIN, will be released in September 06, in print.
Also, in September, my contemporary vampire novella MIDNIGHT MAN will be
coming out in Aphrodisia’s anthology WILD NIGHTS. And next up will be a
Regency set vampire novel (also from Aphrodisia). The final title hasn’t
been decided but it’s a delicious menage a trois story involving vampire
twins Yannick and Bastien and a feisty Regency miss who is also a vampire
slayer.
What advice would you offer authors who wish to be published as erotic
romance authors?
Keep the faith! Often a really great opportunity is lurking behind a
missed one. Don’t beat yourself up, but always be learning.
Join! Join an RWA chapter—either a local one or an online one. Take part
in chats and readers groups, etc. Networking is a big part of the industry
and you learn so much from workshops and other writers.
Mainly, keep writing and finish the book. That’s the advice everyone
gives, I think, but it works.
