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By
Jessica Jefferson
BLURB:
Miss
Tamsin Tisdale believes herself to be completely unsuitable for London life.
After a myriad of social mishaps, and the potential ruination of her family
name, she’s shipped away to her cousin’s northern estate. Only after she comes
to her senses will she be welcomed home.
Marcus
Winston, the Duke of Grayson, has a lackluster reputation. The last in a dying
line, he’s endured a protected life—rank with privilege, encumbered by
isolation. After a brief encounter with rebellion, he learns the devastating
consequences of his carelessness and willingly accepts living life from inside
his gilded cage.
However,
a chance meeting with the brazen Miss Tisdale gives Marc the opportunity to
reinvent himself into the man he’s always dreamed of being. When his deception
comes to light, and ghosts from both their pasts threaten to unravel the
intimacy they’ve come to cherish, will either of them set their fears aside
long enough to embrace love? Or will Miss Tisdale’s stubbornness divide them?
EXCERPT:
Marc watched the faint outline come across the dense morning fog, becoming more
discernible as it approached. The tall, thin figure was riding along at a perilous
speed, given the morning’s lack of visibility. He thought perhaps it was some
gangly young man misguided in the fog. It wouldn’t be the first time someone
accidentally stumbled upon the vast property that made up his family’s immodest
estate.
Then
the fog parted in an almost biblical manner, revealing his gross inaccuracy.
Were
those ... breasts?
Marc
closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Typically, women didn’t ride alone at
such an hour and they certainly didn’t wander unexpectedly across his property.
It’d been quite a while, his last birthday to be exact, since his last intimate encounter with a woman—a gift,
compliments of St. Regis—so there was always the possibility that perhaps his
half-drunk, sex-starved mind had conjured up the sensual image.
He
shook his head, opened his eyes, and looked back again toward the horizon.
Yes, those were most
certainly breasts.
And
she was most definitely not a young man. The woman’s riding
habit pulled taut against her body as she raced toward him. Her hair was
blowing behind her—various hues of auburn and gold, like wild flames curling
about in the wind. Then a decidedly feminine voice burst through the morning’s
silence, interrupting his self-doubt.
“Oh,
thank goodness I found you!”
This
was no mirage. She was indeed very
real.
And
very loud.
And now a word from Jessica:
And now a word from Jessica:
Why
do I write historical?
I write historical romance because that’s what I
read. I’ve tried other genres, and still I return to historicals when I’m
looking for a sure thing. I find comfort in the predictability. I know in the
end, my hero and heroine will end up together and live happily ever after. If they don’t – then I at least I know
there’ll be a sequel.
Someone asked me once – why do you write that stuff?
All those books are the same, he said. In a way, he was right…but he was wrong
too. When I think about it-what makes my life different from anyone else’s? I
went to school, like everyone else. I got a job, got married, had kids…just the
same as most of the other women living in my subdivision. It’s the same with regency romance novels. The foundations are all similar, but what
each author builds atop that foundation is what makes all the difference. It’s
the subtle differences that make each historical romance unlike any other. No
two heroes or heroines that are exactly the same. There are commonalities in
each of the books. Regencies will always have the ton, Vikings will always have
fighting-and all roads lead to love. Though the destination may be predictable,
the journey is what brings me the most enjoyment. I like to think of it as
being unpredictably predicable.
I write historical romance because I feel as if I
have something to add to the genre. There are common threads that may run
through each of my novels, but ultimately the final design is what makes it
different.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Jessica Jefferson makes her home in
northern Indiana, or as she likes to think of it—almost Chicago. She is heavily inspired by classic sweeping,
historical romance novels, but aims to take those key emotional elements and
inject a fresh blend of quick dialogue and comedy. She invites you to visit her at
jessicajefferson.com and read more of her random romance musings.
http://www.JessicaJefferson.com and www.embracingromance.com
Jessica is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card. You can enter to win at the following link:
Great excerpt, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI really love this excerpt. I want this book.
ReplyDeleteFun excerpt!
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Loved the excerpt! Going to check it out further now!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI liked your answer to the guy who asked why do you write since it's all the same. I totally agree with you....certain things are the same, but each author puts their own spin on the 'sameness' to make it different.
ReplyDeletekareninnc at gmail dot com