Emily Bryan's Love & Laughter
Happy Valentines Day!
Thanks for having me here, Romance Junkies! If you’ve been following my 50day/50blog VEXING THE VISOUNT Tour for a while, you’ll want to “favorite” this site. If you’re new to my tour, welcome! Let me introduce myself.
I’m Emily Bryan and I write light-hearted, sexy historicals for Leisure Books—and these days, who can’t use some light-hearted sexy fun?
VEXING THE VISCOUNT is the story of Daisy Drake, a well-born miss who masquerades as Blanche La Tour, a courtesan, in order to convince Lucian (the aforementioned vexed viscount!) to allow her to help him with his search for an ancient Roman treasure. Love is always a dance of deception, whether it’s 2009 or 1731 and VEXING THE VISCOUNT is no exception. It’s a complicated love story, full of mistaken identities and a good deal of dependence on a very naughty woman of pleasure’s memoirs, but eventually, Daisy and Lucian become lovers in truth.
Here’s a little taste:
Excerpt from Vexing the Viscount
As Lucian went to fetch a towel, he heard Daisy rise from the bath behind him, the water tinkling merrily as it sloughed off her body.
Daisy, naked and roused and dripping wet. It was the stuff of his dreams.
He turned and found her standing beside the tub with her back to him. He was only disappointed for a moment before he began admiring the slope of her shoulders, the delicate indentation of her spine, and the curve of her bottom. His mouth went dry.
For a moment, he imagined Daisy in one of the poses from the Roman mosaic, bent double, grasping her own ankles, all her vulnerable parts open to him.
Spread for him.
He swallowed hard. If it was possible for a man to die of an erection, he might as well turn up his toes now.
She lifted her arms and peered over her shoulder at him with an impish grin. “Are you coming or do you intend for me to drip dry?”
Reluctantly, he brought the cloth.
“This is a great deal too much fabric for the subject at hand,” he said as he wrapped it around her form.
She tucked the corners over her bosom and turned to him. The soft cloth covered her from breast to knee, but the sight of her bare calves and naked feet was still almost unbearably erotic.
“You look like some exotic princess, escaping from a Turkish bath, all flushed and rosy,” he said.
“If I was, no doubt I’d have a band of frantic eunuchs at my heels,” she said with a laugh.
He smiled. “And the pasha would be after you, too, if you tried to get away.”
Lucian pulled her close, all traces of merriment suddenly gone. “I certainly would if you thought to elude me.”
“No danger of that, my sultan.” She eased herself away from him. “Now, sir, if you’ll stand perfectly still,” she said as she started to unbutton his waistcoat. “I will try my hand at undressing a man.”
Her hands trembled a bit on the last button. He caught them up and brought them to his lips for a quick kiss.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “There’s no way you can make a mistake.”
“On the contrary, society would say we are making a huge mistake. Or it would say I am, at least.” She gently pulled her hands away from his and eased his dimity waistcoat off his shoulders. “I’ve a feeling this would be much easier if I were still playing at being a courtesan.”
“But it wouldn’t be real,” Lucian said.
“And you want it to be real?”
“Yes, Daisy.” He kissed her softly, then rested his cheek against hers and inhaled the fresh, clean scent of her skin. “What we’re doing is as real as it gets between a man and woman. And I want you. Not a courtesan.”
Her lips turned up in a slow smile. “That doesn’t mean I can’t put what I’ve learned from Mme. La Tour into practice, does it?”
“Not if you care for me in the slightest,” he said fervently.
She stood on tiptoe to kiss him and gave him a quick nip on his lower lip. “I assure you, sir, there is nothing the least slight in the way I care for you.”
* * *
If you’d like to learn more about VEXING THE VISCOUNT, which is due in the bookstores on February 24th, please visit http://www.emilybryan.com !
Everyday on my blog tour I give away a copy of VEXING THE VISCOUNT to someone who leaves a comment or question. Want to know more about a courtesan’s life? Roman Britain? My writer’s life? (Which according to Moliere has more in common with a courtesan than you might think!) Hope to hear from YOU!
And be sure to check back tomorrow to see if YOU are the winner!
Wishing you love,
Emily
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuYuzNjvVO8[/youtube]
Thanks so much for commenting everyone! I love visiting Romance Junkies!
My DH and I had a lovely V-Day together. (He enjoyed his meatloaf last night!) But I’ve put him back to work today, picking the daily winner. It’s # 19–MammaKim! Please send your address info through http://www.emilybryan.com!
And today the blogtour is making a short detour to my blog and then on to Booklorn from there.
TTYS,
Em
Love the excerpt – HOT, HOT, HOT,
Can’t wait to get to this one, I love the amusing banter in Emily’s novels, not to mention the sizzle factor!
Hi Emily
I hope you had a wonderful Valentines day. The excerpt is great!
Very steamy and romantic excerpt! Love it!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Another great excerpt!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I wanted to tell you I love the opening line, “Hmm! I wonder if that’s life-size,” Miss Daisy Drake murmured. I suggested a take on it for a best opening line in another writer’s contest. It’s just so funny – especially, knowing what comes after. Daisy is so brainy, but innocent. I liked her very much. Lucian is perfect for her, even if he doesn’t think so. This book grabs me from the very beginning.
Good luck with it.
A wonderful book!
Please enter me to win a published copy of Emily’s new book, ‘Vexing the Viscount’! 🙂
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!
-Bobbie
Happy Valentine’s everyone! Good excerpt, the book sounds great!
Happy Valentine’s Day Emily and to everyone else also! I hope you have a great evening. Another great excerpt and I am so looking forward to reading it.
Happy Valentines Day Emily! and everyone!
I am looking forward to a nice quite dinner with my DH tonight here at home! Only a few count down days left! Have a wonderful evening everyone!
Love, love, love the excerpt and the book trailer! I am so excited to get this!
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!
Rachel
Julie–A Mardi Gras ball? Sounds delightful.
Michelle-Thanks so much. I’m so grateful every time someone spends their hard earned money on one of my books. Hope you love ite!
Afshan-Glad you popped by.
LJ-I love historicals too! I enjoy paranormals and suspense, but nothing else takes me away quite so completely as a historical romance.
Eva-Hi again! Happy V-day to you too. Do they celebrate St. Valentines in Finland?
Happy Valentine’s Day Emily!
Great excerpt, this book is on top of my wishlist!
Happy Valentine’s Day. I love historical romance books and the excerpt from Vexing The Viscount sounds great.
Hey Again Emily, Great Excerpt!
I can’t wait to read the book.
Your excerpts are so tempting. This is on my to buy list. Hope the tour continues to go well.
Love the witty dialogue build up, Emily. Which I notice is a distinctive trade-mark in Pleasuring and Distracting. I’m in the middle of Distracting, but won’t get a chance to read much this weekend. DH and I are off to a out-of-town Mardi Gras ball in a bit.
Julie
Hi Shirley–I had a wonderful critique group when I was getting started back in Seattle. I still e-critique with one of the members of that group. But I would love to find a circle of romance authors here in this area. I love my e-critique partner. I would not be published without her, but the value of a group is that everyone brings a different strength to the table. Maybe one is a super gramarian. Another catches echoes. Still another may be a terrific brainstormer. And aside from the benefits to the writing, it’s a great way to develop some lasting friendships. You can’t boo-hoo your way through a manuscript together without feeling the power of the romance sisterhood!
Deanna–I’m so glad you LOVE the excerpt! I had a great time writing Daisy and Lucian. (And they had a great time too!)
Ash–Thanks so much for stopping by! Didn’t I hear that your novella in NECTAR OF THE GODS was nominated for an Eppie?
Check out http://www.ashlynchase.com for some naughty Valentine fun!
Sounds like another wonderful book, Emily!
I just wish my TBR pile weren’t toppling over!
Ash
Just love, love, love the excerpt. I’ve bought the book, I think. I’ll have to check, and if not, I definitely will.
Hi Emily,
You must be an early bird too! I’m curious to know whether or not you have someone who reads your work as you go. Do you belong to a critique group? Or do you write and finish on your own? Any comments on critique groups?